Helmut Karlson's Sought Art History

Helmut Karlson (27.08.1914 - 30.03.2007) was a house painter and self-taught artist in Tallinn and Muuga who had a great interest in the history of art. This exhibition is the first one of the author who died at the age of 93. We are exhibiting 17 paintings which either copy famous paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, Francisco Goya, Ivan Shishkin among others, or derive from well-known motives and stories of classical art. Still, Karlson is no copy cat, his works are stunningly independent and unconvential.

Helju Karlson, Helmut's brother's son's wife has written the following about him:

"Jaan Helmut Karlson came from a large family in Pärnumaa. He was talented and was always busy with painting. During the Soviet era he made posters and funeral ribbons. Most of his life he earned his living as a house painter. In his youth he lived in the building of the Swedish church in Tallinn which functioned as a sport hall during the Soviet times. He also painted in this building. He was good in athletics, especially in boxing. After retirement he built himself a summer house in Muuga where he started to live full time. There he took up painting more seriously. He even painted and decorated all of his walls and ceilings. He was familiar with art history. Until his very last years he played basket- and volley-ball with younger boys on a field close to his house. In general he was a proud and straightforward man with very good posture and long blond curly hair. He loved to wear a white suit and knew how to get along with youth. He never sold any of his paintings, but gave them away as gifts."

Kondas Centre of Naive and Outsider Art wishes to thank Edith and Helju Karlson for making this exhibition possible. The exhibition will close on the 10th of August.

Helmut Karlsoni "Otsitud kunstiajalugu" Kondase keskuses

Helmut Karlson (27.08.1914 - 30.03.2007) oli Tallinnas ja Muugal tegutsenud maaler ja iseõppinud maalikunstnik, kes tundis suurt huvi kunstiajaloo vastu. Käesoleval näitusel - 93 aastaseks elanud kunstniku esimesel väjapanekul - eksponeerime 17 maali, mille aluseks on Peter Paul Rubensi, Francisco Goya, Ivan Šiškini jt klassikute tuntud teosed või maalikunstiajaloo kesksed motiivid ja süžeed, mida ta väga asjalikult ja iseteadlikult edasi on arendanud.

Helmut Karlsoni kohta on tema venna poja naine Helju Karlson kirjutanud järgmist:

"Jaan Helmut Karlson põlvnes paljulapselisest perest Pärnumaal. Oli andekas, tegutses kogu aeg maalimisega. Valmistas nõukogude ajal loosungeid ja matuselinte. Suurem osa elust oli maaler. Nooremas põlves elas praeguse Rootsi kiriku majas, mis oli varem raskejõustiku hall. Samas majas ta ka maalis. Oli kompetentne raskejõustiku aladega, eriti poksis. Vanemas põlves rajas Muugale suvila põliselamiseks. Siin ta alustas tõsise maalimisega. Tal olid isegi toaseinad ja laed kunstiliselt maalitud. Oli kursis kunstiajalooga. Kuni kõrge eani mängis noorte poistega korv- ja võrkpalli oma kodu tänava palliplatsil. Ta oli üldiselt väga uhke, sirge seljaga, pikkade blondide lokkis juustega. Armastas kanda valget ülikonda ja oskas läbi saada noortega. Ta kunagi oma maale ei müünud, vaid kinkis."

Kondase keskus tänab näituse aset leidmise eest Edith ja Helju Karlsoni.

Näitus jääb avatuks 10. augustini. Kondase keskus on suvel avatud igapäevaselt 11-18.