A posthumous retrospective exhibition at the Nordic Center and Prøve Gallery
Jeffrey Kalstrom made art, taught art, and curated shows in Duluth for over 30 years. He had a BFA from the Univers ity of Minnesota-Minneapolis and an MFA from the University of Southern California. He was one of the founders and mainstays of the North Shore Iron Pour and was an active member of the iron-casting community worldwide. He was recently given a teaching award from UMD, where he taught art and led the Art Rats art club, an artmaking consortium open to all students.
He defined himself as a creator of beauty; he also had a great love for the lakes and forests of this region. He died unexpectedly while on a camping trip on the boat he had outfitted for camping, on Fish Lake, a beloved location for him. He is mourned by the many people he knew in this region and far beyond.
More work can be seen at jeffreykalstrom.com
Artist’s statement:
I made this work from 2020 to today. It has been a troubled and difficult two years. We have all been torn by a global pandemic which has cost many their lives and their livelihoods, the needless killing of George Floyd and too many other innocent people sparking protest and unrest, endless fires in the West and hurricanes in the South, and a political deadlock that blocks progress towards stemming the tide of global warming.
Horrified by this suffering I gravitate towards work which tries to imagine and visualize an alternative reality, a dream world where the conflicts between people, between humans and animals and between life and death itself are resolved. I need to dream dreams of wholeness in times riven by conflict and hatred. I need to create visions of unity to keep my hopes alive. I am trying to square the circle and achieve a vision of reconciliation.
My current work operates on two levels, one being mythic figurative imagery, the other colorful optical patterns. Through the color and optical patterns I try to mirror the energy and dazzling beauty of movement in nature. Through the imagery I playfully investigate myths, legends, and fairytales. The meaning(s) embodied by the works are best described as wonderment at the beauty of the natural world and the richness of human myth-making.
The 2021 body of work is primarily inspired by the Odyssey, with its themes of fate, luck, fidelity, and the difficult and perilous journey “home”.