Excerpt:
...In a Northern forest the Skeletonman is warming himself
by the campfire. It is skulls, instead of wood, that
produce heat and light. The painting is by Finnish Outsider
artist Viljo Gustafsson (1927-1994). Central to his
work was the belief that 'death is doing an important
job in transforming death into life. Life's dark side
may be seen as the purpose of life.'
In another painting, a pregnant woman stands on a
hill slope, staring at a deep black lake where a child's
coffin is floating. Describing his stark use of colour,
Gustafsson said that 'black is not a colour that should
be used, nor can it be talked about, for it represents
not only the birth, but also the death. Black is a frightening
mystery'. Gustafsson's art was not meant to be displayed
in galleries, so it is very frank and raw; it is looking
for the mystery of life and death.
Death of the Poor Man,
1983, oil on canvas, 52 x 77 cm (left); Death Keeping House for the Poor Man, 1984, oil
on canvas, 54 x 74 cm. (right)