The drawing teacher and artist Erik
Upbringing on Möllebacken, Karlskrona
Erik Langemark was a popular drawing teacher and many students
were depicted in his portraits. They remember a dedicated teacher
who opened their eyes to their town Karlskrona, drawing and
imagery. At Blekinge Museum an exhibition will open in the autumn
of 2015 entitled Hans person och gärning (His personage and
achievement) with both student and teacher portraits.
Erik Langemark’s father, Adolf Karlsson, was from Långasjö in
Småland. The father’s family consisted of priests, townsmen
and farmers. The mother Ellen was from a Blekinge family with
handicraft traditions and with strong musical ties.
Erik was the third child in a family of six siblings and grew
up on Möllebacken. The home was a simple building without
water and drainage which survived the large town fire of 1790.
All siblings had to help in the family business on Bergqvistska
gården which was on Bormästaregatan. The farm was a
meeting place for people from all social strata. The work was
tough and it resulted in Erik developing a strong physique.
Erik Langemark was a great listener of the stories of the elderly.
Maybe this paved the way for Erik Langemark’s interest in the
town’s history? He later depicted and told this through art.
Erik’s parents recognised their son’s talent at quite a young
age and they initiated his education in drawing and painting.
Erik advanced in artistic studies only after secondary school.
At Yrkesskolan’s painting department in Karlskrona, Erik
learnt the basics of the craft. The artistic dream and ambition
was aroused and Erik attended a drawing teacher course at
Konstfack in Stockholm 1934-38 under the influence of his
parents. The Academy of Art took a step back and later it
turned out that Erik enjoyed teaching.
Bergqvistska gården, oilpanting
Stortorget, watercolor
Saluhallen, watercolor
The teaching colleague Pelle Samuelsson (1939-) met many artists
through his interest in art. One of these artists was Lennart Rodhe,
a member from the artist group 1947 års män. Lennart Rodhe (19162005) came to the house on Bergåsa, in Karlskrona, where Erik
Langemark’s paintings were displayed on the upper floor and on the
garage approach. Lennart Rodhe suggested that Erik Langemark
should display his work at Thielska Galleriet and contacted the art
professor and academician Ulf Linde (1929-2013). The exhibition
took place in 1979 and success was a reality. In a radio interview on
Radio Blekinge in the same year Ulf Linde said: “Developing a world
in oil paint which feels convincingly spatial, deep, permanent, this
is difficult as it requires patience, brilliant power of observation and
having control of your nerves. I think I have only met a few people
on the whole who have succeeded with this, in the same way that
Langemark does.” To conclude Linde says “that he has not met
anyone in his 30 years, anyone who can be compared to Langemark.”
Erik had regular meetings and significant artistic talks with Lennart
Rodhe who also introduced meetings with many other famous
artists, including Curt Asker (1930-) and his wife, also artist Lotti
Ringström (1942-).
Erik Langemark 100 år More agenda points - www.karlskrona.se/langemark
Many remember Erik Langemark’s trips with his car which also
served as cover when the weather did not allow open-air painting.
There were several trips to Hökamåla farm which the family bought
together with the farmer Leo Ottosson (1898-1985) in wartime.
The farmstead Hökamåla farm is an old woodland farm of Blekinge,
right above Rödeby in Karlskrona municipality, which was very
important to the family.
Eventually Leo Ottosson was bought out. Erik Langemark dedicated
a lot of time and interest in managing the farm and forest. A pencil,
paintbrush, canvas and paint were always at hand. The forest,
lakes and meadows provided food for Erik Langemark’s artistic
soul and iconography.
Erik Langemark in working process at
his home, Studentgatan 14
Tour of the town between 1–3 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays up to and including
12 September
Erik Langemarks Karlskrona
During his lifetime Erik Langemark documented his beloved Karlskrona and the
result was a large number of fine watercolour paintings. We compare a selection
of Erik Langemark’s town themes with their current appearance and also learn
about the story of his life. Guide: Rolf Johansson. Starting: Karlskrona Turistbyrå,
Stortorget 2. You can purchase tickets at the tourist agency Karlskrona Turistbyrå. More info: www.
Högabergstrappan, Möllebacken,
oilpainting
visitkarlskrona.se
Erik Langemark 100 years
Workshop Wednesday 5 August and 12 August Karlskrona konsthall
Love for the town and landscape
In Erik Langemark’s spirit!
Draw and paint with the pictorial educationalist and artist Åke Franzén. There is a
similarity between Erik Langemark and Åke Franzén, the love of drawing, depicting
what you see and educationally arousing enthusiasm and teaching us to see!
Another often regular trip destination was Trummenäs with its water
meadows, the sea, the open landscape, birds and the grazing cows.
Trummenäs is located halfway out towards the archipelago islands
Sturkö and Tjurkö where the light can be perceived differently
towards the woodland. All of Karlskrona and its surroundings
became Erik Langemark’s field of work. Erik captured the moment,
light, colours, space, town and landscape in constant change,
depicted with love and feeling.
Erik Langemark’s scholarship exhibition 13 June – 8 November Blekinge
Museum
13/6–8/11 Rom – Karlskrona
Hilda Hallén and Björn Lundell, who received the Erik Langemark travelling
scholarship in 2013 and 2014 are presented.
New exhibition opens on Saturday 10 October at Blekinge Museum
Erik Langemark 100 years – his personage and achievement
Birgitta Göransson, cultural secretary, kultur- och fritidsförvaltningen,
Karlskrona municipality
Erik Langemarks car, a Mercedes.
Albinsson & Sjöbergs bilmuseum
13 June – 30 August 2015
Sunflower, oilpainting
An exhibition on Erik Langemark as an artist, teacher, historian and collector. In
addition to letters, photographs and the objects he has collected, student and
teacher portraits, paintings and other works will also be shown. The portraits,
like some paintings, will be sold and the revenue will go to Langemark’s art fund.
At the top: Rolf Johansson. Middle: Åke Franzén. At the bottom: Erik Langemark, selfportrait, watercolor 1935
Selfportrait. Erik Langemark, watercolor 1933-34
Here we will present some of the works of art we are showing during the summer’s exhibition in
Karlskrona konsthall Erik Langemark 100 years Love for the town and landscape. All works are equipped
with a sign and information. We will encounter the landscape, nature and town in the exhibition hall.
In Auditorium – the archipelago and on Langemark’s balcony – the town.
Entrance of the art gallery:
We will encounter the triptych Saluhallen vid Fisktorget 1990 (The
market hall at Fisktorget, 1990). The market hall was constructed in
1904 with 64 stands for meat, fish, vegetables, bread, diary products
and all other market hall related products
White building by Borgmästarefjärden, 1939 and Poppy flowers at Knösö. Two oil paintings by Erik Langemark
in Karlskrona municipality’s collection
Erik Langemark 100 years Love for the town and landscape
The artist Erik Langemark (1915-1997) was fascinated by and attracted to depicting the
town and landscape for over half a century. The home town Karlskrona was explored with an
artist’s eye and with insight of the cultural history value, he depicted the town with feeling and
precision. The result was a unique collection of 176 watercolour paintings and sepia wash
drawings were donated to Karlskrona municipality in 1994 and a short duration thereafter
another 16 oil paintings. The donation is a cultural treasure. An artistic documentation of
buildings which no longer remain and districts which changed content in line with the spirit
of the era.
In connection with celebration of Erik Langemark’s 100 year anniversary, Karlskrona konsthall
is highlighting this through a summer exhibition. Summer is the time of year for return of many
tourists, summer residents and those who at one point moved away from their home district.
It is the perfect time to show an artist’s love of his town and the landscape. We will encounter
Erik Langemark’s portrayals from the landscape at Hökamåla farm, water lily paintings, the
grazing animals on water meadows by Trummenäs and the winters at Studentviken.
Saluhallen, oilpainting, triptych
Stadsbudskåren i Karlskrona has facilitated the creation of a portfolio
with four prints of views of the town from Alamedan, Hantverkaregatan
towards Tyska kyrkan, Landbrogatan and Arklimästaregatan. The
revenue goes to Erik Langemark’s travelling scholarship.
Alamedan’s current wide entrance out towards Kungsbrofjärden
was only a narrow lane before the town fire and was intended for
millers transport from the dock up to both mills of Hästkvarnsberget.
However, Alamedan’s continued route up towards the town had
already become one of the most distinguished streets during the
town’s planning.
Hantverkaregatan was referred to as Brädbogatan on some old town
maps. There are two statements on the cause of these names. Both
due to board sales which took place from a shed here and also
due to the many temporary sheds and board booths which were
constructed after the large town fire in 1790.
Alamedan, watercoulor
Hantverkaregatan, watercoulor
The first three rooms of the art gallery:
We encounter a large painting Bergqvistska
gården, borrowed from Blekinge Museum.
Many people might recognise it from its
placement in Swedbank in Wachtmeister
galleria. Erik Langemark personally witnessed
the farm’s environment, as it was owned by
the family for three generations. All the
activities and all the horses were always
exciting for Erik Langemark as a boy.
Erik Langemark painted many water lily
paintings over the years and there was a
boat by Långasjön, which was closest to
Hökamåla farm. As a result Erik could be
really close to his favourite theme. Three
water lily paintings were borrowed from
County Council Blekinge, where they hang
in the corridor of Blekinge hospital’s main
building in Karlskrona.
Other themes are from Karlskrona, Knösö,
Hökamåla farm, Trummenäs and a sunflower
painting shines right inside. Oil painting as a
technique dominates in the three first rooms
and we mainly see openair painting. The
Langemark family’s private photographs are
shown in the presentation.
The staircase:
Bergqvistska gården, oilpainting
Nättrabybryggan was referred to as Skåningabron in the past as the
boats which delivered grain to Möllebacken’s mills came from Skåne
and anchored here. The name was changed to Nättrabybryggan during
the steamboat epoch. The residents of Nättraby had struggled for a
long time to get a steam barge line to the town. The line also got a
connection to the narrow gauge railway between Nättraby, Eringsboda
and Älmeboda, referred to as Krösnabanan. Traffic ceased in 1939.
The shelter, at the top of the image, was constructed in the 1910s
and provided shelter from the northerly and southerly winds. With
its Chinese inspired gable roof and the decorative iron spire with
weathervane at the top, it became a well-known silhouette down by
Borgmästarefjärden.
Auditorium:
The theme of the watercolours in the salon is the archipelago. Many
themes are from Saltö sund. Here on the right a watercolour painting,
1965. We can see the town’s well-known square profile from Saltö.
Ekholmsbron was built in 1905, and the large light building on the right
was constructed after the previous building was ravaged by a fire in
1902. The building was demolished in 1965 to make room for the new
Saltöbron. The only connection between the islands before the time
of the bridges was by boat
Langemark’s balcony:
Water lily paintings, oilpanting
Here we will encounter the town Karlskrona. On the right a watercolour
painting, Wachtmeistergatan from 1946 where Erik Langemark has
captured a regular day of the old Björkholmen. The people depicted
in the painting give us a feeling of another era and atmosphere.
Erik Langemark 100 years! Karlskrona konsthall 20 years!
1995, 2005 and 2015 are three important years. In 1995 Karlskrona municipality started exhibition
activities in Båtsmanskasernen on Stumholmen. Erik Langemark was one of the artists who participated in the inaugural exhibition. In 2005 we celebrated 10 years in Båtsmanskasernen and an
exhibition with Erik Langemark was on the agenda. 2015 will mark our 20th anniversary – and we
will celebrate by highlighting
Karlskrona municipality would like to thank everyone who has very kindly lent works
of Erik Langemark and in this manner contributed to the anniversary exhibition Erik
Langemark 100 år Kärleken till staden och landskapet (Erik Langemark 100 years
Love for the town and landscape) in the art gallery Karlskrona konsthall during
the summer of 2015.
County Council Blekinge, Blekinge Museum, Hans Krona, Björn Krona,
Elisabeth Krona, Karin Wennborg and Maria Wennborg.
The book Erik Langemark Kärleken till landskapet (Love for the landscape), author
Kelly Lindblom and published by Blekinge Museum in 2005, has assisted us in
our work on the anniversary exhibition. Kelly Lindblom has also written texts for
almost every work of art in the donation which Erik Langemark made to Karlskrona
municipality which is based on interviews with Erik Langemark. The book project
En stadsvandring med Erik Langemark (A tour of the town with Erik Langemark),
the society Föreningen Gamla Carlscrona’s yearbook of 1995, has also served as
good supporting material.
Birgitta Göransson, Karlskrona konsthall
Organizer: Kultur- och fritidsförvaltningen, Karlskrona municipality. Exhibition manager. Text and
image processing: Birgitta Göransson. Information text and research work for signs for works
of art: Suzanne Eklöf. Photographs of works of art: Birgitta Göransson, Svenne Hansson, Erling
Klintefors, Andreas Blomlöf, Morgan Olsson och Joachim Cruus. Translation: Språkservice Sverige
AB. Printing of folder: Printfabriken AB.
Borgmästaregatan 17. Free Admission. Tis-fre 12-17, lörsön 12-16. Tel 0455-30 34 22 [email protected]
www.karlskrona.se/konsthall