Occupation
- Artist: Johs Rian
- Creation date: 1968
About
“The colours are what is most important,” Johs Rian once said. In 1930, at the age of thirty-nine, he made his debut at an exhibition at Kunstnerforbundet in Oslo, after having completed his training at the Academy of Fine Art under the tutelage of Axel Revold (1928–29). Already in Rian's early, figurative works, one gets a clear sense of an interest in pure colors and simplification of forms, which can be said to point to his later abstract paintings. Occupation represents the style he had developed and cultivated during the final phase of his career.
The painting features monochromatic fields of mauve and blue-green against a black background. The paint has been applied to the surface without any distinct brushstrokes showing. Even though the placement of the various elements might seem haphazard, we know that Rian spent a great deal of time on the composition. He believed there was an ideal location for every shape, and an ideal colour as well, and his ultimate ambition was to discover this perfect painting.
The title refers to the Soviet-led troops from the Warsaw Pact countries' invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. According to Rian, “the blue serpent here is the Soviet Union, which wants to crush the tiny splash of violet – Czechoslovakia”. The large rectangle symbolizes the resistance movement, while the speck of green in the upper-left corner represents help from the international community. With this information in mind, it becomes easier to imagine how this picture symbolizes the occupation of a small country.
Even though Rian uses his nonfigurative works to comment on contemporary political events, his art is typified above all by its composition and its characteristic use of colour.
- Creation date:
- 1968
- Other titles:
- Okkupasjon (NOR)
- Object type:
- Painting
- Materials and techniques:
- Olje på lerret
- Material:
- Canvas
- Dimensions:
- Height: 100.7 cm
- Width: 110.7 cm
- Depth: 2.2 cm
- Keywords:
- Visual art
- Classification:
- 532 - Bildende kunst
- Inventory no.:
- MS-02717-1988
- Cataloguing level:
- Single object
- Acquisition:
- Acquired 1969
- Owner and collection:
- Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design, The Fine Art Collections
- Photo:
- Børre Høstland
- Copyright:
- © Rian, Johs/<a href="https://www.bono.no/" target="_blank">BONO</a>
Nasjonalmuseet's collection catalogue is a living resource of information gathered since the 1830's. Some records may contain language or ideas that today could be perceived as outdated, offensive or discriminatory with regard to for instance gender, sexuality, ethnicity or disability, and that may be at odds with the museum's values regarding equality and diversity.
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Other works by Johs Rian
Kvinne ved flygelJohs RianMellom 1932 og 1945
FrierietJohs RianMellom 1932 og 1945
Clair de luneJohs Rian1974
Terrasse, Cros-de-CagnesJohs Rian6. februar 1950
Sittende kvinnelig akt, ColarossiJohs Rian18. oktober 1949
Grotta Santa, SiracusaJohs Rian16. november 1951
Stående kvinnelig akt, ColarossiJohs Rian1949
Fra Villa Berthe Michel, Cros-de-CagnesJohs Rian28. desember 1949
Nonner i klostergård, SiracusaJohs Rian1951
Marked i TangerJohs Rian17. desember 1955
Åpent vindu, Cros-de-CagnesJohs Rian12. januar 1950
Kvinne ved flygelJohs Rian1948





























