Rita Marhaug
Photo Bjarte Bjørkum - CREPUSCULAR with Benedicte Leinan Clementsen
Rita Marhaug’s performance praxis started last half of the -90ies. Educated from Norwegian art schools during the -80ies her medium till this point was focused on the two dimensional image: mainly drawing and printmaking.
Wanting to visually explore femininity and masculinity, performance became first choice accompanied with photo and video. Her early performance work had emphasis on the female artist putting into play concepts like “strength” and “aggression”. Important works from this period is Action, Knock Out, Small Mann,
For a longer period she has worked with the series Norwegian Liquid investigating the (female) body and its relationship to national wealth and the fluids that drive the Norwegian economy. This is still an ongoing chapter.
Her resent works are more into the realm of surrealism with wider use of costumes and props. The changeable reality of the body(image), revealing and concealing, masking and de-masking have been the core of interest.
Throughout her performance praxis artistic cooperation has been important. Her artistic partners have been Ingunn Wright, Traci Kelly, Benedicte Clementsen, Karen Kipphoff, Gillian Carson and Robert Alda.