'Un-Swedish' paint job causes media swirl
The Local Sweden - [email protected]
Published: 24 Mar, 2015 CET.
Updated: Tue 24 Mar 2015 12:30 CET
An artist from southern Sweden has been ordered to repaint his home after local officials ruled the new colour scheme for his home in Skänninge wasn't Swedish enough. The controversial decision has caused a splash across social media.
Bernth Uhno, an artist who has frequently exhibited his own paintings and etchings across Sweden, recently bought and repainted a house that had been empty since 1981.
He swapped the old, flaking yellow paintwork that the house had been covered in for decades, for a more vibrant shade of orange at the top of the building, which turns gradually lighter and more yellow towards the bottom.
However his taste proved too radical for local councillors who argued his colour scheme was too outlandish and ordered him to repaint it in a more suitable shade.
"The colour scheme is not Swedish," Anders Steen, a Centre Party politician who is chair of the town's building committee told local television news network SVT Östnytt, adding that in Sweden people tended to stick to one colour for their homes.
By Tuesday morning news of the council's decision had gone viral with thousands of people mostly slating the move on social media.
"Very nice and probably difficult to get such nice shades," wrote Annia Lindgren on SVT's Facebook page.
Fellow Facebook user Peter Skoglöf joked he thought the house was "nice looking" and resembled "beautiful autumn leaves. Swedish autumn leaves then of course".
Meanwhile Linköping Moderate Party politician Christian Gustavsson tweeted that he was at a conference centre that was also painted in different shades of yellow, described Bernth Uhno's work as a "highlight" and even used the hashtag #jesuisbernth, in reference to the #JesuisCharlie campaign following the deadly terror attacks in Paris in January.
Expressen journalist and social media giant Niklas Svensson reflected the sentiment of many when he posted on Twitter: "Sometimes our politicians and municipal officials have far too little to do."
The Local has contacted both Anders Steen and Bernth Uhno for comment.
According to the artist's website, he has been a member of the Swedish Artist Federation (KRO) since 1978 and the inspiration for his commercial paintings "often comes from travels to places with strong cultural and historical significance and inner journeys".
"The role of art is to elevate the spectator and to broaden his or her conciousness. The spectator should feel that there is deeper reality beyond the ordinary and come to understanding of him or herself and his or her historical background," he writes.
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Bernth Uhno, an artist who has frequently exhibited his own paintings and etchings across Sweden, recently bought and repainted a house that had been empty since 1981.
He swapped the old, flaking yellow paintwork that the house had been covered in for decades, for a more vibrant shade of orange at the top of the building, which turns gradually lighter and more yellow towards the bottom.
However his taste proved too radical for local councillors who argued his colour scheme was too outlandish and ordered him to repaint it in a more suitable shade.
"The colour scheme is not Swedish," Anders Steen, a Centre Party politician who is chair of the town's building committee told local television news network SVT Östnytt, adding that in Sweden people tended to stick to one colour for their homes.
By Tuesday morning news of the council's decision had gone viral with thousands of people mostly slating the move on social media.
"Very nice and probably difficult to get such nice shades," wrote Annia Lindgren on SVT's Facebook page.
Fellow Facebook user Peter Skoglöf joked he thought the house was "nice looking" and resembled "beautiful autumn leaves. Swedish autumn leaves then of course".
Meanwhile Linköping Moderate Party politician Christian Gustavsson tweeted that he was at a conference centre that was also painted in different shades of yellow, described Bernth Uhno's work as a "highlight" and even used the hashtag #jesuisbernth, in reference to the #JesuisCharlie campaign following the deadly terror attacks in Paris in January.
Expressen journalist and social media giant Niklas Svensson reflected the sentiment of many when he posted on Twitter: "Sometimes our politicians and municipal officials have far too little to do."
The Local has contacted both Anders Steen and Bernth Uhno for comment.
According to the artist's website, he has been a member of the Swedish Artist Federation (KRO) since 1978 and the inspiration for his commercial paintings "often comes from travels to places with strong cultural and historical significance and inner journeys".
"The role of art is to elevate the spectator and to broaden his or her conciousness. The spectator should feel that there is deeper reality beyond the ordinary and come to understanding of him or herself and his or her historical background," he writes.
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