I have recently heard back from someone who bought my Triangle Theory book in Copenhagen.
He wrote the following:
“I was instantly taken with yours ideas as soon as I read your book. I so much agree that art criticism today is often baseless and seem to have no foundation to the arguments. Your triangle theory starts to address this in a really tangible and accessible way. My interest is as an enthusiast photographer and I have discussed the theory with several of my photographic friends. They are equally excited and your three dimensions have entered into our language. We have even now started to talk about our images in terms of the size and shape of the triangle. Do you think your theory applies just to ‘art’ images, or can it be applied equally to other (photographic) genres, eg sport, macro, wildlife, photojournalism, etc. I suspect it can.”
I am very encouraged! You can read some of the book free on this website under The Triangle Theory.
Thanks for reading,
Leah
The Frelloist, 125x85cm, 2013-14,
Oil on MDF board,
LEAH MERETE ROBB, (1977)
Danish/Scottish Portrait artist Leah Merete Robb has enjoyed getting to know Otto and wife Stence during the past 5 years.
My initial awareness of Frello came via my uncle Finn Nesgaard, who handed me a documentary film about Otto he was involved in making back in 2000. In 2008 I visited the Frello family and discovered that Otto’s humour ran through his every conversation and therefore poured very effortlessly into his paintings. On this meeting I showed him portraits I was painting of people from Copenhagen’s alternative community, Christiania. He exclaimed, “but you can draw!” Our friendship and mutual respect led to my portrayal of one of the most humorous, imaginative and talented artists I’ve come across.
My portrait painting uses texture, illusion, printing and dribbling techniques, creating a visual tapestry of intrigue, like a detective story. I wish to draw to attention an artist I have been inspired by and who I believe deserves to be discovered by many more.
FRELLOISTEN/THE FRELLOIST, Olie på MDF Plade, 125X85cm, 2013-14
En hyldest og fejring af mennesket Otto og maleren Frello
MALET AF LEAH MERETE ROBB, f. 1977
Den ‘nu kendte’ kunstner portrætteret af den ukendte kunstner:
Jeg har kendt Frello i fem år og var først og fremmest fascineret af personen, Otto – hans humor som siver igennem hver eneste samtale, og hans imødekommenhed og varme som menneske. Han er meget underholdende selskab.
Derefter kom hans enestående evne til at male. Frellos redskaber har ikke hæmmet ham – tvært i mod. De har givet ham overskud og gjort ham fri til at lege med opdigtede motiver og blandet tidsbilleder på sin unikke og humoristiske måde. Nutidens kunstscene har undervurderet håndværkets værdi.
Processen med portrættet af Frello har været en udfordring uden lige, men også en fantastisk leg hvor jeg fik mulighed for at leve mig ind i Frellos verden.
I mit maleri bruger jeg illusion, tekstur, dryp og print til at skabe nysgerrighed omkring emnet og håber Frelloisten kan være med til at sætte fokus på Danmarks store hemmelighed, kunstneren Otto Frello.
FRELLOISTEN ER TIL SALG UNDER AUKTION IND TIL AUGUST d. 31.
Bud foreslag – 75,000kr. (Kunstneren har sidste ord på evt. salg). Kontakt mig på email – leahrobb@rocketmail.com hvis maleriet har interesse. Seneste bud ligger på 25,000.00kr
Nærbillede af Frelloisten.
Dear visitors to this refurbished website. Feel free to browse!
Hope you like it.
Best regards
Leah
Otto Frello is one of the most interesting artists I’ve come across. He started his career as an illustrator and drew hundreds of technical images for handbooks on various subjects. By doing this he gained a huge amount of knowledge about architecture, aircraft, plants, fashion, jewelry and what have you. He started to tire of drawing on demand and wanted the freedom of doing just what he wanted to do. His own paintings, which he started in the his late 40s are as far removed from the serious technical drawings from the handbooks as you could come, while still being technically excellent. If you meet the guy and experience his sense of humour, you will hardly understand how he managed to do serious drawings.
This is my portrait of him. It is meant to capture a number of his character traits and his invented characters. The backdrop is based on his painting “Three Jars”. This painting is currently on display in Copenhagen’s Roundtower (Rundetårn).
