Trygve Olson’s Trains of Thought

Who in this region doesn’t know the name Trygve Olson? For his editorial cartoons alone, Olson has established himself as a thoughtful, sharp-witted, prolific and exceptionally proficient artist.

In “Trains of Thought” at the Rourke Art Museum, the public is introduced once again to Olson’s finer art side, a series of watercolors where light at dusk is one of the illuminated and illuminating subjects. The exhibition also includes twenty top-notch original 2009 editorial cartoons, including those with provocative names like Flood Deliverance, Water Boarding, and Ms. Alberta Clipper.

Olson’s artistic gifts are many, and he is an important cultural, political, and social critic, plus an excellent art educator to boot. The Rourke is right to round up a number of his recent works as testament to Olson’s penetrating interpretation of his own personal vision and his commentary on the region’s cultural realities. HPR spoke with the award-winning Forum provocateur, and his insights into his art and editorial craft are telling.

HPR: Is engaging with editorial cartoons your first love?

Olson: It’s hard to choose. I am happy working in both these media and genres.

HPR: In the editorial cartoons, what type of subject matter do you feel most comfortable exploring?

Olson: Any subject that’s important to our region. I look to politics and social issues . . . sometimes to whether there are two sides to an issue, which is often. I spend about two-thirds of the time researching and conceptualizing and about one-fourth drawing. Also, I have to keep pace with what’s happening, and so much of the process is just keeping current because the shelf life of many issues is very short. It’s important to be on top of issues important to readers and to people who follow the news.

HPR: Do you consider yourself a political cartoonist of a particular political point of view?

Olson: (laughs) I’m a little left of center, but I like to be an equal opportunity cartoonist, spending an equal amount of time pointing my pen at both sides of the political aisle.

HPR: I like that image. Have you ever created a cartoon of yourself holding a pen in each hand—pointing one at the Left and one at the Right?

Olson: I haven’t done that.

HPR: Well, maybe that’s not a very good idea. I’m certainly no cartoonist. How about a change of subject: can you say something about the subject matter in your watercolors?

Olson: Trains appear in many of these paintings. I like riding trains. It’s a great way to unwind . . . keeping up with the news is actually hard work . . . My wife and I take many trips by train, and the destination isn’t the point, it’s the ride . . . the view is constantly changing outside the window. My wife’s family consists of three generations of railroaders, so there is a lot of family talk about railroading, even about back in the steam days. Also, in Fargo and Moorhead there are many trains going through town and you see them all the time, and we hear them . . . trains are everywhere here . . .

HPR: So trains are a natural subject for you. What type of train imagery appears in the work?

Olson: I try to portray trains in a different light and to avoid clichés, so I try to create a different view or context. Some appear floating, for example . . . in this show many are in low light or low key light . . . this exhibit is very different than my last show which was called The Farm Show. Farming is near and dear to my heart. I experienced losing a family farm, so the work for the last show was an emotional drain, so this show is easier in that way.

HPR: Back to the editorial cartoons for a moment. I find your wit extraordinary. Just what does a cartoonist use in the creation process?

Olson: The cartoonist uses things like analogy and symbols . . . also, it’s a condensing process of finding the essence of the subject and communicating it in a very quick way.

HPR: Is it hard to part with original cartoons? I see they are all for sale.

Olson: It’s hard to part with some of them. Some of my favorite ones.

HPR: What topics interest you at the moment?

Olson: In politics, the shocking news of Dorgan not running, and the Hoeven and Pomeroy races, plus the flood issue and finding the most cost-effective solution that works.

Questions and comments: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

If You Go

What: Trains of Thought: The Art and Editorial Cartoons of Trygve Olson
Where: The Rourke Art Museum
When: Feb 5-March 14 (Members’ Preview: Fri, Feb 5, 6:30-8 pm; Public Opening: Sunday, Feb 7, 1:30-3:30, Gallery Talk, 2 pm)
How Much: $5