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Art in Norway reflected little of the surrealist influences that the European artistic world was experiencing. As nationalistic fervor in Norway grew, particularly with the threat of German occupation, paintings tended to center around themes of home and country, with impressive landscapes and depictions of distinctively Norwegian traditions. Experimentation with non-traditional materials and use of techniques derived from the German surrealist tradition were efforts that were largely ignored.
Only two surrealist artists ever really experienced any modicum of success in Norway: Sigurd Winge (1908-1994) and Erik Harry Johannessen (1902-1980). Other artists - particularly those who had moved to Norway from other European nations - found that they had to adapt their artistic styles in order to appeal to Norwegian tastes. During WWII, while much artwork remained centered around themes of the Norwegian land and people, another form of artistic talent began to emerge - that of secreting anti-Nazi messages into seemingly innocent images. Symbols of Norwegian nationalism, such as King Håkon and the jule nisse, were carefully worked into paintings and drawings (some of these appearing in newspapers and book covers) in order to evade the strict eyes of the censors. Rather than acknowledge the sense of irrationality that was prevalent in other European countries, this artwork delighted in preserving rationality as the domain of the Norwegian underground. Norway, with its unique and insulated nationalism, rejected the notion of order without reason that other disillusioned countries had seized upon as their only solace. Beneath the grim reality of rationing, war, and occupation lay a deep seated optimism about the future of the Norwegian people. Spared the atrocities of the first world war and equipped with the newfound pride of fleeting independence, Norwegians found little of value in an art form that did not fit snugly into a framework of nationalistic triumph. Surrealism just didn't take. Resources
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