Odd Nerdrum granted appeal

In a dramatic turn of events, the internationally renowned painter Odd Nerdrum has been granted a new trial in the Norwegian appeals court. His two year prison sentence has been overturned amid growing allegations of faulty evidence and infractions of the legal process during the trial.

Because his prison sentence was less than six years, the probability of being granted an appeal in Norway is incredibly low. Thus, the choice to overturn the sentence requires serious concerns about the district court's verdict. The appeals court stated that it specifically wanted to review questions over a sum of $300,000 taxed in Iceland in 2003, as well as to re-consider Nerdrum's explanation that this fiasco began due to some 40 paintings that had melted due to experimental techniques.

The date of the new trial has not yet been set.

Self portrait at L'Hippodrome by Odd Nerdrum

In a liberal society, both bad guys and good guys can be successful. In a social democracy, only the bad guys can prosper.

- Odd Nerdrum

The Nerdrum Affair (interview)

An interview with Brandon Kralik and Richard T. Scott about the case against Odd Nerdrum.

Odd Nerdrum censored on skavlan

Written by Bork Spildo Nerdrum

When are they going to treat him with respect? I guess never.

Our family went to the skavlan show and we met Fredrik Skavlan who seemed like a very decent and sympathetic man. We really thought he was the key to successully spread the enlightenment of the case - we were completely wrong.

Instead of trying to understand the situation, he demonized Odd and had no interest of the case outside the bankbox in Austria which he kept going back to. If what the people wants is a clown as a television host, then he really made the best out of it.

I saw what they had broadcast on tv the day after, and disappointed of course. Most of the important information was edited away, and relatively published on their website. Click here

Of course we knew that there were important parts missing from the longer version of the interview, so I called Skavlan myself to ask for the raw footage. I remember him trying to fool me, saying it was already published on their websites, but as he understood that it wasn't possible to keep talking nonsense, he told me he would send the full version unedited to me - and surprisingly, he did.

Some days later, I got the cd - I guess charlo halvorsen (which is the entertainment editor for the state television and husband to the former socialist party leader) wasn't to happy with that. Oh, and by the way, he was there that day when the show was recorded. Coinsidence? I do not believe so.

THE Nerdrum AFFAIR

In response to the recent prison sentence of norwegian artist odd nerdrum, american artist is revealing some of the facts of the trial and giving several of his contemporaries an opportunity to voice their opinions

On August 3, 2011 internationally acclaimed painter Odd Nerdrum was sentenced to two years in prison by a local court in Oslo, Norway, on counts of tax evasion totaling more than $2 million. The verdict started a frenzy of media

activity from the artistic community, with Nerdrum supporters rallying around the artist through Facebook, blogs, petitions, exhibitions, and online groups. The collective indignation at the prison sentence was palpable— and although several artists were determined to prove the charges erroneous, it was the prospect of Nerdrum not being permitted to paint during his two-year sentence that ignited the greatest levels of empathetic response from his contemporaries. “The work of Odd Nerdrum is a gift to a world much in need of culture,” stated professional portraitist and Studio Incamminati founder Nelson Shanks. “To in any way inhibit or prevent his work is a crime against humanity and should be condemned. No court is above this reproach...

Artists repsond to Nerdrum sentence

Independence is the state’s worse fear, and Nerdrum’s financial and artistic success outside of their economic structure is considered a threat.

Odd Nerdrum is a phenomenon that challenges the consensus and the sheep - minded mentality that pervades the contemporary art world, and therefore must be "dealt with." I also think this trial is about sending a message to everyone else who aspires to have the kind of independence Nerdrum has achieved.

- Joachim Ericson

I must say that Norway has committed a grave injustice. Let’s be clear: the charge is not that he didn’t pay taxes. He paid the taxes, and the court acknowledged this

The only explanation I see for such an unprecedented punishment is that the court has made a political ruling and not a judicial one.

- Richard T. Scott

When he “discovered” a medium that was wonderfully creamy, rich, and luminous he did what most any of us would have done: He used it.

It would be difficult to know what to do when many years later this medium proved to be flawed, and it’s easy to criticize whatever choice was made to make amends. Leonardo’s Last Supper suffers from the experimentation of a master as well. The truth is that Odd did what he felt was best, and that was to keep the customers satisfied

- Brandon Kralik

Written by Alison Malafronte