Grete Prytz Kittelsen
Grete Prytz Kittelsen | |
---|---|
Born | Adelgunde Margrethe Prytz June 28, 1917 |
Died | September 25, 2010 | (aged 93)
Nationality | Norwegian |
Alma mater | Illinois Institute of Technology Oslo National Academy of the Arts |
Spouse | Arne Korsmo |
Grete Prytz Kittelsen (born Adelgunde Margrethe Prytz, June 28, 1917,
Through her work she contributed to internationalisation, innovation and scientific research. She was one of the few Norwegian practitioners who shaped the Scandinavian design style in the post-war era and is the periods’ most renowned Norwegian practitioner. Kittelsen's aim was to make beautiful and user-friendly everyday objects available for everyone. She had a vast and varied production. With her enamelled objects and jewellery she has been a pioneer in design in the post-war era and a model for the next generation of designers. Today her pieces constitute design icons and are sought-after collectables.Early life
Kittelsen was born in 1917 in
After receiving examen artium in 1935, Kittelsen began studying goldsmithing at the National Academy of Art, Crafts and Design. She received her diploma in 1941, after which she worked for J. Tostrup.[1]
In April 1945 she married Arne Korsmo, architect and professor at the Norwegian Institute of Technology.[4] They divorced after 15 years.[3]
During the Second World War she had to flee to Stockholm due to her underground work. There she and her husband, Arne Korsmo, were acquainted with the Danish architects Jørn and Lis Utzon, and they established a life-long friendship.
Post-war years
After World War II Kittelsen moved back to Oslo and worked for the family business. She designed numerous works of silver,
From 1954 to 1957 she participated in the "Design in Scandinavia" exhibition, shown in several places in the United States and Canada.[2] Near the end of the 50s, her products, manufactured by Hadeland Glassverk and Cathrineholm, were commonly found in Norwegian homes.[1] "Sensasjonskasserollen" (lit. The sensation casserole) was particularly successful, with 150,000 units sold in 1964.[5] Her designs were often inspired by American art, characterized by clear, plain colours and simple shapes.[2] Kittelsen also designed informal, inexpensive jewellery made from silver and vitreous enamel.[1]
Her foreign visits after travelling in the US were mainly linked to participation at exhibitions and conferences, often related to her engagement in the World Crafts Council (WCC), of which she was a co-founder and board member.
In 1971 she married Sverre (Loe) Kittelsen who died in 2002.
Grete Prytz Kittelsen died at age 93 in Oslo 25 September 2010.[6]
Works
After the Second World War Grete Prytz Kittelsen was commissioned to renew a range of products in the family firm Tostrup, which she did in cooperation with Arne Korsmo. They created several new objects for use in the home that were adapted to new production methods and a more informal lifestyle. An example is the cutlery Korsmo from 1954, which consisted of relatively few parts, and was simple to produce by the help of a few working tools. Additionally, she designed jewellery inspired by abstract art of the same era. Many of them were manufactured in a particularly rational way.
In 1957–1958 in cooperation with
From the end of the 1950s she worked as a designer for the Cathrineholm factory in Halden. They built up a collection of objects in enamelled steel that became very popular.
In addition, Prytz Kittelsen was active in scientific research. In 1950 she initiated a cooperation between The Central Institute of Research at the University of Oslo and Hadeland Glasswork in order to develop new, more affordable types of enamel. Her experiments in form, technique and materials constituted a kind of artistic and practical research.
Impact and honours
Grete Prytz Kittelsen had grown up with the ideals of the modern design movement, where simple and beautiful everyday objects should be made available for everybody. This, together with a strong technical interest and practical skill, became significant of her work. Both technically and formally her pieces were characterized by an ability to experiment and a modernity that made them original even in an international setting.
As one of the leading artists of the
Kittelsen was made a Knight, First Class, of the
In 2018 several buildings and auditoriums at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) were given new names. OsloMet has a tradition of naming their buildings after historical people, and primarily women who have had an impact on one or more of the fields of study at OsloMet. One of the auditoriums at Kjeller campus was given the name "Grete Prytz Kittelsens auditorium", which is located at Karethe Johnsen's house.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Skjerven, Astrid. "Grete Prytz Kittelsen" (in Norwegian). Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d Sandberg, Lotte (2008-05-19). "Kresen emaljemester". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 14 January 2010.
- ^ a b Indahl, Aage. "Jakob Tostrup" (in Norwegian). Norsk biografisk leksikon. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
- ^ Skjerven, Astrid. "Arne Korsmo" (in Norwegian). Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
- ^ Krogvig Karlsen, Ragnhild; Alexander Fredriksen (2008-11-05). "Kongelig heder til Prytz Kittelsen" (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
- ^ "Grete Prytz Kittelsen er død" (in Norwegian). VG. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
- ^ "Medaljförläningar – Prins Eugen-medaljen". Swedish Royal Court. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ^ "Kaller opp bygg etter kvinnelige pionerer". OsloMet. November 27, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2019.