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The
story involves the emperor repeatedly asks the artist for
his rooster painting to which the artist replies that it is
not ready. Finally, after 50 years, the emperor demands the
painting be made. The artist asks him to sit down, serves
him tea, and quickly paints the rooster. When the emperor
asks the artist what he was doing these 50 years when the
painting took such a short amount of time to make, the artist
takes the emperor to the next room which is full of crumpled
drawings of roosters.
“Art
can look very easy but takes a lot of practice and experience.
Fifty seconds of painting took 50 years of practice for the
calligrapher’s rooster,” Arkö explains.
Arkö
puts a Swedish twist on the tale by adding a touch of blue
and yellow to the rooster but alludes to the tale’s
origins with the paper used—high-quality Japanese paper
called kozo—its calligraphy-like style, and the inclusion
of a red dot symbolizing Japan’s flag.
The
address the print was unveiled during was “Organizing
Large Art Projects,” where Arko discussed one of his
best-known works, the 295-foot long tapestry depicting Frans
G. Bengtsson’s Viking novel Röde Orm,
“The Long Ships.” Arkö helped organize and
create the piece, which was exhibited through the U.S. and
the world in the 1990’s.
Arkö
also created over 100 lithographs depicting the novel. He
presented Bethany with a complete set of the Röde
Orm illustrations for the Wallerstedt Learning Center
library.
“The
Long Ships was one of my favorite adventure stories as
a kid, like The Three Musketeers,” says Arkö.
Only 250 original sets were made, and there are no reproductions.
“Röde
Orm is not only a book, but an artist’s work,”
says Arkö. “The story and the illustrations are
good sources for Vikings research.”
Arkö
will give his final presentation at Bethany’s Chapel
services on November 7 at 10:30 a.m. in Burnett Center. For
more information on Arkö’s tenure at Bethany, visit
www.bethanylb.edu/arko.
The
Pearson Distinguished Professorship in Swedish Studies is
endowed by a gift from the late Gerald “Bud” Pearson.
It was created so that students, faculty, staff, and community
members can explore and understand ways in which modern Swedish
culture and experience can be learned and incorporated into
their own lives.
Bethany
College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881,
is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The mission of Bethany College is to educate, develop and
challenge individuals to reach for truth and excellence as
they lead lives of faith, learning and service. Bethany College
is on the Web at www.bethanylb.edu.
Caption:
Contact:
Jane
Tubbs
(785)
227-3380, ext. 8244
tubbsj@bethanylb.edu
Bethany
College
335
East Swensson Street
Lindsborg,
KS 67456
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