After some shopping downtown, we went to Frognerparken/Vigelandsparken ( read about the park here: http://museumsnett.no/vigelandmuseet/eindex.htm>) before we were going to Bloom's for lunch.

Frognerparken/Vigelandsparken is a beautiful, large park near Majorstua in Oslo. It contains large green lawns, beautiful trees, and is often used by the locals for tanning, picnics, workouts, running area, dog walking, leisure and fun. There are over 200 statues here which all are modelled by Emanuel Vigeland. The theme of the whole park is the Cycle of Life.

One of the most famous statues is Sinnataggen. This statue has actually been stolen a couple of times, which may be seen by the "scar" on his foot. I think Scott managed to take a picture of it?

There are several "tree" figures around the fountain in Vigelandsparken.


Another famous structure in the park is the Monolith with groups of stone figures around it. The groups reflects the "Cycles of Life" and according to Vigeland himself they are easy to understand. The Monolith interprets the "Struggle of Life" with people lying horisontally on the bottom, looking deadlike, upwards changing into people struggling to get upwards, then changing midways into people clinging on afraid to fall down and from there they are climbing straight up to the top and ends in a bunch of small children. One interesting fact is that Vigeland actually has modelled himself into the mass of people as well.
He also said that it is up to each to make his/her interpretation. I think this is a fascinating statue and it's made of 121 figures. It took 3 storne carvers 14 years to carve the Monolith out of one giant piece of white granite which actually comes from the place where my grandmother was born.
(I didn't know this, I just read about it in a book. This is REALLY interesting!!)



Here Scott is taking a picture from the bridge in the park.


After seeing the park we went to Bloom's and got served a delicious lunch with bread with brown cheese and yummy yummy waffles. Mmmmmmmmm.... I didn't take any pictures here, hope Scott has more photos to show you. In the mean time:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/425724/thread/1185815774/last-1186138195/It+would+appear
-<nerdo>-

Fascinating, isn't it!! With that HUGE monolith standing there, with a big fountain full of water just below... :P

Bloom

...as Vigeland said...it's up to everyone's own mind to make an interpretation...

-<nerdo>-

Vigeland also left a lot of documentation And in addition to that, they have a whole 'eros' exhibit from art that he has done in the Vigeland museum next to the park. So I think this one is a no-brainer I think it is kind of cool - as it is a source of the life cycle, which really is a big topic in the park.

Bloom

-<nerdo>-

I loved it. I'll post a bunch of pics, but don't want to be a picture post hog. Do you have some more Nerdo?

This is such a great park. LOts of open area and statues. Nice statues. Not to mention quite naked statues. If I was 15 I'd be embarrassed. INstead, I just get sophmoric.




Nerdo in action with the camera she kept forgetting she had.


A tower of naked people. This is a very cool monolyth. In fact I think it's calle "Monolyth"


The Hiemlich Manuever demonstrated at the park


Dogpile!!!!!


Dragon and woman. There is also another sculpture witha dragon and a man.


My dad and his 3 sons


A young Steve Garufi making a weather "observation"


Circle of Life


OooooooOOOOooooooOOooohhhhhhhhhhh YEAH!!!!!


Nerdo on the bridge


The park really does have some great sculptures. It is big and airy. If it hadn't been raining, it might have been a nice place for a picnic.

The main palace for the King


A statue dedicated to the memory of NOrway's first king...I think


Nerdo inspecting the troops


Some more street scenes from Oslo

I would comment about some but well....there's not alot to say cause well....my brain is naked right now!!

Bloom and Nerdo Pour over a map ov Norge, determining the best routes for travel




Nerdop prepares a sandwich of brown cheese.....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.


I know you've seen these, but they deserve another audience.

such a lame excuse for being lazy.

I WANT PHOTOS. NOW. p

Vivian

.

Rimmer: So, let me get this straight. You want to fly on a magic carpet to see the King of the Potato People and plead with him for your freedom, and you're telling me you are completely sane?!

I've never seen so much nudity in one place! In the US you still can't nurse a baby in public without getting a few disapproving looks from people.

____________________________________

Lisa formerly of OK, now Lisa in Telly

Myspace page

Ahhh Norway sure likes to get nakey Those statues are amazing. My favorite is the "Young Garufi Weather Observation" HA HA HA HA

Actually, I'd have DIED if you ran across a statue that had Garufi holding his head with his mouth hanging open. Wouldn't that have been hysterical ?

Scott, you're my HERO ! YOU WENT TO NORWAY

Lisa


Off my back patio - The Sangres

And are those statues 'naked' (without clothes) or 'nekkid' (without clothes and up to something)...

'Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music.'
- George Carlin

Those were nice, but I was hoping to see more photos of Bloom!

-Steve
_____________________________

Colorado Guy - New Mexico Guy - Montana Guy

Our time was cut a bit short with Bloom. There are two ways to get more pics of Bloom:

1) Ask Bloom or Nerdo to post more pics of Bloom

and

B) Go to Norge and take your own pictures. come on Steve...stop making so many observations! p

I should be *everyone's* hero.

he's dropped one.

Regards

John

LOL!
Gosh those nakey statues would have every baptist church in America protesting!

---------------------------------------
The world is not governed by polls. Results are key to an effective administration. Hair health is not an issue of popularity. - Steve's 2007 Hair Consultant

-CarolinaPete

all of the Baptists secretly want to go to Norway!! hee hee

is anyone else reminded of the Holocast of the life statue?

maybe to blame are the films I saw in high school...like the Fog.

Phil

Seeing that these are very sturdy looking people. Vigeland did some of his studies with August Rodin. Rodin is known for his big hands and feet. And when you see Vigeland's granite statues you can see the same tendency there - just he has made all body parts more sturdy and more chubby looking in a sense. Legs are thick, hands and feet are big, arms are somewhat fat, etc. And so with that much flesh on the bone, I cannot say that I have ever thought of the Holocaust when seeing his art. But then again I grew up with this art in my neighborhood long before I learned about WW2. I had PE classes where our destination was to run around the Monolith, and so forth (ah, my traumatic childhood!).

It is an interesting observation though - and ironically this park is placed next to one of the major graveyards in Norway. Also with so many naked people stacked together, I can certainly see how it would bring WW2 to mind. However, the park was planned and started in the 1920's I believe, so Holocaust was probably not an influence for the park.


Bloom

...was that both the Monolith and the fountain were not intended for the park in the beginning.
Especially the fountain was thought of being placed downtown, but wasn't allowed if I remember correctly.

-<nerdo>-

...some time ago there were a group that actually covered the private parts with a black piece of paper during one night...like censorship!!! There was a poster saying "there is enough nudity in the news"...
ROFL!
It shows that is actually was a group of students from a advertising school in Oslo that did this as a project!!
http://nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/ostlandssendingen/1.2050977


-<nerdo>-