Meet Bjorn Olsen | Artist; Wood Sculpture, Collage and Painting

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bjorn Olsen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bjorn, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
I resist self doubt by trusting my creative process and believing in my own vision and practiced skill. Before each project I write out a list of actions necessary to complete each stage of a given artwork. The framework keeps me focused on manageable tasks and allows me to stay productive in the studio. When I am stuck, disillusioned, or at a turning point in a project, I return to my to-do list and choose something very simple that I know I can quickly complete. This initiates momentum and jumpstarts my creative process compounding small actions to accomplish significant results. Sometimes however, a new approach yields unexpected effects I couldn’t have anticipated without taking a risk or attempting something new and unknown. I’ve learned a lot from trial and error, openness to new techniques, learning from past mistakes and the need to approach creative problems with creative solutions. I’ve found that a healthy balance of planning and leaving room for experimentation in the creative process keeps me engaged and yields my best artwork.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m inspired by art and utilitarian objects from around the world made using natural materials like wood, stone and clay. I’m fascinated with the history of sculpting, carving and woodworking, its relation to tool making, shelter building and object crafting as well as symbolic art objects and monuments created to carry cultural and ritual importance.

In 2018 I was incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to turn an old farm building into a studio on my family’s farm in Oregon. Together we retrofitted a run down garage space into an art studio by insulating and adding walls, windows and lighting. I would not have been able to do any of this without the support from my whole family including design and building guidance from my dad who creates custom craftsman houses and my sister who runs an organic farm. The studio was created using the same ethos I apply to my artwork, transforming what was once dilapidated and underused into something beautiful and useful. Working out of this space has granted me access to nature, allowing me to harvest storm blown wood and utilize salvaged materials like rusty rebar and old barn beams I use for my sculptures.

My process involves wood carving to reveal forms I see suspended within a larger block of material. I use salvaged, reused or reclaimed wood for my sculptures due to its character, lighter environmental impact and the challenge of repurposing and reusing materials. Whether working outside cutting and collecting wood in the forest or salvaging beams from an old farm building, obtaining wood from its source and knowing its origin imbues the final artwork with a richer story and greater meaning.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I work out of Monmouth Oregon in the heart of the Willamette Valley where there are tons of restaurants, parks and hikes close by. I would probably suggest grabbing a burrito at Casa Burrito or Koyote Taco then driving or skating down to Riverfront Park where there is an amphitheater we could enjoy our food. From there we may play a little disc golf or enjoy a walk along the path there. We may also put kayaks in the river and float down to Minto Brown Island Park in Salem, if we wanted to extend the adventure making sure to stock up on healthy snacks from the Independence farmers market. For more views of the valley I’d probably stuff a day pack with a sketchbook, water and some granola bars and take a hike through Peavy Arboretum, a OSU research forest where there are miles of trails through forests and beautiful views from the valley all the way to the coast range.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been blessed with incredibly supportive community of family and friends who have encouraged me to follow my passions and urged me to keep making art. Their love and support has carried me through creative blocks, kept me productive, on my toes learning new skills and growing my career in art.
I’ve also been fortunate to learn from some amazing teachers and mentors. James Kirk taught me how to draw and paint at an early age, and through the College of Wooster I studied under Walter Zurko, Marina Mangubi, Amber Kempthorn, Steve McCallum and Ben Butler via an internship. These mentors made me believe that being artist was possible and encouraged that dream. I began to learn about the behind the scenes world of art through the College of Wooster Art Museum in Wooster, OH, Mattress Factory Art Museum and the Wood Street Galleries in Pittsburgh, PA. I learned a great deal about art making and installation from the educators, curators, installers and friends I met while working there. I also learned a ton about reusing building materials from the crew at Construction Junction and learned how to work with reused, reclaimed and salvaged barnwood while working for Bruce Wadleigh at Barnwood Naturals in Salem, Oregon. All these people have taught me so much along my path. I am so grateful to have such a wide breadth of talented and interesting people in my life that have influenced and taught me along the way.

I have been greatly inspired by artists such as Rick Bartow, Leilah Babirye, Martin Puryear, Willie Cole, Wangechi Mutu, Julie Schenkelberg, Nick Cave, Thomas Dambo, Eva Hesse and Sean Hunt.

Books like The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, Atomic Habits by James Clear and Making it in the Art World by Brainard Carey have also provided useful insights into leading the creative life of an artist.

Website: bjornolsenart.com

Instagram: @bjorn_olsen_art

Image Credits
All photos except 6,7,8,9 (the owl, rabbit, mangrove and cat collage) taken by Sue Anderson at sueanderson.pic-time.com