New York City & Wetterling Gallery in Stockholm Sweden – a personal art institution to visit

As a young aspiring artist in my early 20´s I started visiting the Wetterling Gallery. Going to all sort of art galleries in town was a must of course. What was always so great with WG at that time, was all the international pop artists WG was exhibiting at the gallery. I still remember the exhibition I saw with Robert Rauschenberg and his fantastic work around 1987-1988. To me one of his best work. I went to the gallery and saw his work and was amazed of what I saw. So fresh, so new, so inventive.

During that time Swedish art critiques writing in swedish morning and evening news papers more seem to write for their own personal gain and glory. Writing almost ridiculously so-called intellectual pieces very few people actually understood. In Swedish we some times call it ”ordbajseri”. Fancy words for just fancy words sake. It was quite funny when one regular journalist I believe in Expressen evening paper around that time wrote something like: “Wow, I finally understood what Lars O. Ericsson actually ment”.

I loved reading those art reviews and lengthy pieces in the media at that young age because it was talking about “my world” – the art world. And to be fully honest it was fun that they got so much room in those newspapers. They don´t today thats for sure. And off and on they actually wrote something that actually was interesting. But after a while I just ditched them all and stopped reading them more or less. And instead continued to read the international art magazines and International Herald Tribune.

I remember that many people I met and discussed art with at the time criticized the Wetterling Gallery for being superficial for showing all these famous rich american pop artists – instead of Swedish and Europeans. But there were already so many doing just that in the swedish art scene back then, so if Wetterling could bring big artist names to small Stockholm, how could you really criticize him for it. He was doing something beneficial for all the swedish young aspiring artists and the swedish art scene. Thats my view anyway.

Wetterling Gallery still remains at the same address as he had back then in Kungsträdgården. A High-end address no doubt and clients with big wallets buy there, but the gallery is welcoming. So even those with not so big wallets easily feels welcomed. Here the WG Facebook Page>

Today I went there once again with Mia to watch some art that catched my eyes from outside the window as we passed by – Paintings by James Rosenquist. One of those american icons.

Today I asked if I could take a photo of Mr. Björn Wetterling himself, and him as always being so approachable and polite, he said yes. Here he is infront of some of the work being shown right now.

Björn Wetterling himself don’t know the story, as I mostly just said ”Hi” when I visited the gallery and not much more both back then and now, part from a few polite words here and there appreciating the art. When I was a young man I whent into his gallery and often talked to the two blonde young women assistants working there. Who both happened to open their own art galleries years later. I usually talked and discussed with them about the art and asked questions. We were the same generation also. One day in 1988 I told one of them that I was going to New York for a few weeks. She remembered how much I talked about Robert Rauschenbergs art exhibition they had been showing. And I don’t remember all in detail, but she suddenly gave me the direct phone number to Rauschenbergs assistant in america. I called her up and presented myself and said I would be interested to meet Mr Rauschenberg if that was at all possible to see how he worked and maybe ask advice, as I was going to New York City. She was then very friendly asking me to contact her again as it was actually possible to make this visit possible. She might be able she told me to have Rauschenberg going up from Florida to New York. I was absolutely stunned as a 22-23 year old young artist. We talked a bit longer and I understood it was´nt just “talk”. I was going to contact her again prior to the trip. And maybe when I landed in New York. I couldn’t believe it and became so nervous about the whole thing that I actually lost the note, the paper with the direct phone number written down to Rauschenberg, before going to NYC, and the meeting never happened. I still went to NYC and talked with a friend at the time Robyn C. about it. I still had two brilliant weeks in NYC, I stayed at Robyn C and her room mates place in Jersey City, and other fantastic things happened I still remember and cherish. But no Rauschenberg.

Back home in Stockholm, I told the young women at Wetterling Gallery that I lost the note. And I continued of course to see art shows at Wetterling Gallery.

Through the magazine Art News I learned about one of many favorites at that time Ross Bleckner, an artist I like to remember having seen work of at Wetterling Gallery in the 80´s – 90´s. Or just take for granted would had been exhibiting there. Not that many in sweden new about Ross Bleckner at that time.

These days I still visit but far, far, far from so often as back then. Which basically ment at least once a week.

If you are going to Stockholm, Sweden then you really should try visit the Wettering Gallery. Today they still show american & international artists but much more local swedish artists as I understand. And that’s perfectly okay of course.

A personal thank you to Björn Wetterling for bringing art to the masses.

Stefan Lindblad
Artist, illustrator & graphic designer
www.stefanlindblad.com
www.canvas.nu