The Cave of Apelles

Bork Nerdrum and Jan-Ove Tuv take a deep-dive into Larry Shiner's book The Invention of Art (2001), commenting on the contents from the perspective of classical painting and culture. Part one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzyAwlZ1kLg Part two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huNHIxGAMn8

Dr. Nir Buras is a leading new traditional architect and urbanist, founder of the Classic Planning Institute, and author of The Art of Classic Planning. He designs towns, cities and buildings, and speaks about some of the most interesting developments in the world of architecture and planning and where we might find ourselves in the future.

Jan-Ove Tuv sits down with Jon White from the Crecganford YouTube-channel and Sturla Ellingvåg from the Viking Stories YouTube-channel to discuss the nature of myths.

Jon White has studied Indo-European mythology for more than thirty years, particularly focusing on cosmogony and creation myths. As an independent researcher and lecturer, he shares this knowledge on his YouTube-channel @Crecganford . Mr. White visits Cave of Apelles to detail the major motifs or "mythologems" of the Indo-European mythological tradition and what they denote. Considering that the Indo-Europeans lived in the Pontic-Caspian steppes about 7000 years ago, how did their stories spread to ancient India, Persia, Rome or Norse Scandinavia - changing, yet still retaining their core? Combining the study of myths with fields like linguistics, archeology and etymology Mr. White will unravel cross-cultural similarities in stories like The Cosmic Twins, Defeating the dragon, The cattle raiding myth and The wild hunt. He will also share his ideas on how we best are to understand myths. Are they projections of the human psyche, the condensed ethos of a culture or symbolic manifestations of natural and cultural history? More intriguing still: is the presence of myths and archetypal images particular to Homo sapiens or have they been transferred between human species?

What happened in the cultural life in 19th century France that lead to the rise of avant-garde art in America? Jan-Ove Tuv sits down with Michael Pearce to review his book Kitsch, Propaganda and the American Avant-Garde. The book is available here: https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-9411-1

Michael Pearce is a writer, painter, teacher and curator, as well as the founder of The Representational Art Conference (TRAC). His book "Kitsch, Propaganda and the American Avant-Garde" uncovers one thing Lenin, Hitler and Roosevelt had in common: A keen eye for art as state propaganda. Avoiding the old-fashioned vs modern dichotomy, Pearce shows the cultural historical roots of employing both figurative and abstract painting to further political correctness. Pearce traces it back to 19th century socialist thinking, and goes in-depth on the ideas of philosophers like Proudhon and Saint-Simon, as well as the protests of Emile Zola. First and foremost, however, he shows how the the American government and a few wealthy families made Avant-garde art into the preferred art form of the 20th century, casting it as the antidote to the sentimentality of kitsch.

Jan-Ove Tuv sits down with Sturla Ellingvåg to dive deep into Norse mythology. Ellingvåg is the historian behind the YouTube-channel Viking Stories . He is associated with the Max Planck Institute in Germany, and is convinced that history has to be studied in a broader context than current fashion allows. Part one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q81uTkxnsY Part two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTXjioACKt8 We have previously released an interview with Ellingvåg on this channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFeje-6fYmw

Seth Fite is a classical painter born in England, who grew up in the United States. From the new world, he is inspired by American Golden Age illustrators, Andrew and N. C. Wyeth, and the Cincinnati master Frank Duveneck. From the old world, he has studied masters such as Rembrandt and Velasquez. In 2019 he was a student of Odd Nerdrum. Fite has been told to "find his own voice" and "do something new", as well as other clichés, but he sees little use of this. He strives to strike the vulnerable spot of humankind, the same spot found by masters before him.

Jan-Ove Tuv sits down with Sturla Ellingvåg to dive deep into Norse mythology. Ellingvåg is the historian behind @VikingStories . He is associated with the Max Planck Institute in Germany, and is convinced that history has to be studied in a broader context than current fashion allows. Part one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q81uTkxnsY We have previously released an interview with Ellingvåg on this channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFeje-6fYmw

The 22 year old playwright Henrik Knightingale has just released his debut play In His Own Shadow. The play is set 150 years into the future, where a miracle happens: a new theater play is produced - and it is actually good! Can stories about love restore our faith in existence? Knightingale sits down to talk about the craft of writing a story, how he overcomes the challenges of writing, and how he "kills his darlings". Putting his own play in context, he will also discuss the authors who spur him in his own writing, taking a look at the structure of Antigone and Cyrano de Bergerac.

Bork Nerdrum and Jan-Ove Tuv take a deep-dive into Larry Shiner's book The Invention of Art (2001), commenting on the contents from the perspective of classical painting and culture.

The young architect has already made a mark on one of Sweden's cities by winning a competition to build a housing complex in multiple classical styles. Nils Freckeus has a strictly classical approach and aspires to work like the old building masters.

Jan-Ove Tuv sits down with Sturla Ellingvåg to dive deep into norse mythology. Ellingvåg is the historian behind the Viking Stories channel on YouTube . He is associated with the Max Planck Institute in Germany, and is convinced that history has to be studied in a broader context than current fashion allows. We have previously released an interview with Ellingvåg on this channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFeje-6fYmw

Kaja Forum is a Norwegian painter with an acute sensibility to value and tender moments. Living off of commissions, Norum will explain how she balances her own wishes and those of the commissioner. She will also discuss how she approaches her own work, laying out her method of solving compositions and how she double-checks herself by comparing her own work with the old masters. In addition, Norum will talk about her favorite contemporary colleague Molly Judd, and how she has been inspired by the works of August Rodin, Eugène Carrière and Odd Nerdrum. You can visit her website by going to: https://www.ateliernorum.com/

Bork Nerdrum and Jan-Ove Tuv take a deep-dive into Larry Shiner's book The Invention of Art (2001), commenting on the contents from the perspective of classical painting and culture.

Are we progressing towards a brighter future, or have we lost something important on the way? Should we look at science and poetry through the same lens, or is that one of the reasons why we have ended up with modernism? Philosopher Stephen Hicks sits down with Classical painters, Odd Nerdrum & Jan-Ove Tuv, to discuss the modern belief in progress and whether it is shaping the art world for good or for bad.

What are the foundational rules of storytelling and can Ayn Rand's philosophy serve as an inspiration to fiction authors? Henrik Knightingale, who just released his first play, is an objectivist with a keen interest for the work of Ayn Rand. He sits down with Jan-Ove Tuv and Carl Korsnes to discuss her ideas about literature and reveals how he went from being a modernist to a writer with structure and a clear goal in mind. Henrik Knightingale's debut play "In His Own Shadow" is now available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGYPVSZT

Professor James Stevens Curl is the author of the book "Making Dystopia: The Strange Rise and Survival of Architectural Barbarism". He dissects the modernist ideology as a historical phenomenon, which is not independent of the authoritarian social forces that surround it. On the contrary, Stevens Curl demonstrates that modernism became an authoritarian aesthetic ideology from early on, which eventually characterized the whole of Western culture. Where many academics in Western Europe have taken a nihilistic approach to the dystopian urban landscapes that have risen after the Second World War, James Stevens Curl chooses a firm position. As he sees it, modernism is a deeply immoral and a socially destructive project, which should be actively combated. Curl has also written extensively about Victorian architecture. Architecturally, the Victorian era was a rich era, with great building activity and saw the construction of many beautiful churches. In his newest book "English Victorian Churches", Curl explains how the European political currents of the time, British religious policy, and local engagement played a significant role in realizing this rich and beautiful architectural period."

Sturla Ellingvåg is the historian behind @VikingStories . He is is currently collaborating in DNA-projects with the Max Planck Institute in Germany, and is convinced that history has to be studied in a broader context than current fashion allows. He traces the roots of the Viking Age back to the Bronze Age and beyond, and also sees the earliest Viking raids as a pre-emptive defense against the onslaught of the "sword Christendom" of the Emperor Charlemagne. Ellingvåg takes us through Norse mythology, its connection to Greek mythology and society and how it may reflect reality in unexpected ways. Were the Norse Gods actually historical human beings and did the Vikings become more resilient through their stories? Join us as we delve into the Norse sense of life and discuss the power of their stories.

Jan-Ove Tuv sits down with Jannik Hösel and William Heimdal to discuss how symbols should be treated in a narrative painting

Stephen Hicks is a professor of philosophy at Rockford University, U.S. and the author of several books, including the best-seller Explaining Postmodernism, which details the philosophical roots of today's cultural climate. Mr. Hicks highlights Immanuel Kant's role in undermining objectivity and reason, showing how his ideas remain the corner stone of Post Modernism and "Fine Art" to this day. Giving an overview of Kant's aesthetics, metaphysics and epistemology, the conversation further explains how this cocktail necessarily cripples classically minded people: If we cannot know reality then the act of painting it becomes naive. If nothing is objective then we cannot trust the rules of any craft and if nothing is universal then we become estranged from the mythic perspective. You can listen to Hicks' lecture How Art Became Ugly or check out his appearances on various podcasts including his own Open College Podcast. His official YouTube-channel is CEE Channel (Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship).

Three architecture enthusiasts sit down to discuss how to get people involved and interested in classical architecture. From left to right: Ruben Hanssen from @the_aesthetic_city , the Norwegian architect Kristian Hoff Andersen, and Michael Diamant (founder of https://newtrad.org/)

The fight for our cities has only just begun. Michael Diamant (founder of New Traditional Architecture on facebook) stresses the importance of being on the offense and not fall for false embraces to keep the movement afloat. The modernists cannot be reformed, they have to be removed. While studies of the human brain and how human beings react to their environment is a useful argument for the superiority of classical architecture, Diamant warns of "neuroscience architecture" and how it can alienate us from the slightly imperfect but unmatched quality which is the result of building things with our hands.

Jan-Ove Tuv sits down with two young painters who are currently studying with Odd Nerdrum to listen to their thoughts about their teacher, how he approaches painting and the greatest takeaways from being his pupil. Unfortunately, there was a technical issue with Hösel's microphone which got worse towards the ending.

What are the signifiers of an eternal image? Odd Nerdrum argues for the melancholic perspective on life and points to painters like Jacques-Louis David, Rembrandt and Titian.

We dive into Plato's dialogues, such as Ion and The Republic to better understand the Greek philosopher's concept of the ideal forms and why he declaimed that painters, sculptors, and writers were to be banned from his ideal state.

Growing up in Rembrandt's hometown Leiden, Ruben Hanssen developed an interest for the built environment and has studied Urban Planning at the University of Amsterdam and Urbanism at the Delft University of Technology. In 2021 he founded The Aesthetic City which is a podcast devoted to the discussion of how to build a more livable, healthy and beautiful environment. The channel is also featured on YouTube with educational content, such as the very informative video called "Why is it Beautiful?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9pg2j2oGy0 What is going wrong in cities all over the world? Which errant paths do planners still take? What "collective image" do we have of the future? How is the mainstream idea of the future formed by popular media and tending towards dystopian nightmarish visions? Ruben Hanssen covers these questions and more.

Jannik Hösel is a German classical painter currently studying with Odd Nerdrum.  Growing up in an environment that offered no possibilities to be formally trained in the craft, he chose to go down the autodidactic road, and sits down in the Cave to share his knowledge on self-learning, which ranges from suggested exercises and how to think as you study — to basic awareness of painting materials. Hösel is also concerned with the psychological faithfulness of motifs. He warns against becoming too "symbolic" or "deep", and how you can attain the middle road of storytelling.

What are the key factors of masterworks such as The Flaying of Marsyas by Titian? David Molesky, Sebastian Salvo, and Jan-Ove Tuv sit down to talk about myths, perspective on life, archetypes, eternity and more. Chapter markers: 00:00 Titian's Flaying of Marsyas: two stories in one 05:10 "Long looking" and movies that go inwards 09:56 Masterpieces are calming like Mandalas 17:01 Repetitions and the comfort of archetypes 20:16 Collectivity & individuality, sky & earth 27:40 David successfully identifying as an elk 30:13 Strive, but do not strain 40:26 Making timeless patterns in your brain 44:13 Recognizing your own talent in another painter 49:09 Creation myths and Greek sculptures: a unity of opposites 59:16 Continuing work on paintings owned by collectors 1:02:30 Every masterpiece is a sign and easy to read 1:05:26 The eternal, human face or inside jokes 1:11:27 "Divine comedy": a level up from tragedy? 1:19:20 Uniting laughter and sorrow This episode featured David Molesky, Sebastian Salvo & Jan-Ove Tuv and was filmed and edited by Bork Nerdrum. The centerpiece was a 19th century reproduction of G. F. Watts' Hope. SHOUTOUT to our TOP SPONSORS! Fergus Ryan Matthias Proy Børge Moe Eivind Josten

Öde Nerdrum sits down with Wim Winters to talk about Whole Beat, sharing the story of how he discovered the YouTube channel Authentic Sound  and the life-changing effects it had on him as a musician and human being. But is whole beat a bullet proof concept? Nerdrum puts it up to the test by challenging Winters with the main counter-arguments. ▶️ Watch Jan-Ove Tuv's interview with Wim Winters on Cave of Apelles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWITKRfXHRs

Have you ever wondered why classical music always seems to be performed too fast in the concert halls? Wonder no more. Wim Winters, an organist and pianist from Belgium, challenges modern performance practice of Beethoven, Chopin and others from the Classical period via his controversial YouTube channel Authentic Sound. Winters' point is simple: the metronome indications of works by the likes of Beethoven have been misread for more than a century, a claim made evident by historical proof that the current tempi is up to twice as fast as the original (!) Pianists today need physiotherapy in their attempts to follow painstaking speeds and even the fastest fall short. Among Winters' numerous reconstructions are Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Moonlight Sonata, at first appearing shockingly slow. But on closer inspection, could it be that only a return to the original tempi will release the true emotional potential of the Western musical canon?

Knowledge of the craft and what you are up against is vital for the revival of classical architecture. Carl Korsnes sits down with Eric Norin to talk about the knowledge handed down to us by Vitruvius, good examples of building projects with local coloring, the impact of seemingly innocent standardizations, the driving force of early modernists, and more. ▶️ Watch the initial interview with Eric Norin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCFVPsnym2g

The young draughtsman and painter from Finland has proven his talent with narrative portraits from live model. Aiming for the Classical Greek ideal, Hjalmar Hagelstam is already well-equipped, having studied painting with Odd Nerdrum and sculpture at the Florence Academy Growing up in a country known for Sibelius and Gallen-Kallela, Hagelstam asks the following question: "Which lessons can we learn from the strange fate of 19th century Finnish painters?" As he sees it, they were rightfully concerned with Kalevala, the native, mythical epic. However their political desire to find something "national" in it, invariably led to failure. Making matters worse, influence from contemporary ideas of "progress" and styles like symbolism and impressionism only further removed their work from a truly timeless context. So what makes a universal story? And could you grip the essence of a myth by simply illustrating it?

Magnus Vanebo and Jan-Ove Tuv sit down to discuss the meaning and significance of Vasily Kandinsky's manifesto "On the Spiritual in Art". What exactly is "pure" mimesis and the "innate" power of color? Who knows... Are the thoughts presented in the abstractionist's essay even as original as the author wants them to be, or are they borrowed and perhaps even taken directly from previous thinkers? Chapter markers: 00:02 Predetermined development 10:10: Outer form hindering the inner content? 15:00: Inner necessity and universal content 18:45: The "innate" power of color 20:29: Mysticism and avoiding the representational form 22:24: Self-contradictory freedom of expression 24:59: Avoiding narratives and the fairytale-like 30:21: "Pure" mimesis, untainted by our senses 33:46: Mythological themes in Kandinsky's works? 37:50: Kandinsky's "dehumanization" 42:48: Art = one small detail of old master painting 45:13: Kandinsky's journey to abstraction 48:55: Kandinsky vs screenwriting 53:09: Kitsch & Art — an age-old dichotomy ▶ Full video: https://www.patreon.com/caveofapelles

As the Vice President of the Swedish Architecture Uprising (Arkitekturupproret), Eric Norin is a strong proponent of humane and harmonious architecture and city planning, and has appeared in numerous debates on architecture in Swedish media. Norin works as a professional architect within the classical tradition, and runs his own architecture firm Tradition Arkitekter, specializing in new classical production and renovation. He argues that city planning is a democratic matter and that we must start developing greater democratic basis for what is being built. Surveys clearly show that people generally prefer classical and beautiful buildings, and Norin stresses that people ought to act according to their architectural preferences: Buy new classical houses and visit stores in classical buildings! As social media has made the architecture debate more open, are we witnessing the fall of the modernist hegemony?

Jan-Ove Tuv and Einar Duenger Bøhn sit down discuss Aristotle's Ethics from the perspective of narrative painting.

The question as been asked over and over for decades: Is figurative painting coming back? David Molesky and Jan-Ove Tuv sit down to discuss the possibilities and problems with the current trends and what it truly takes to change the tide.

Following his victory in the World Wide Kitsch Competition 2021, Shaun Roberts was invited to the Cave of Apelles for an interview about his award-winning portrait "The Messenger". He shares stories from his teaching experience at a Texan university and his unconventional sources of influence, such as the Dutch genre painter Adrian Brouwer, as well as the American "Cowboy" painter Frederic Remington. Studying with Odd Nerdrum, Roberts also breaks down the most important things he is currently learning. Chapter markers: 01:20 "Hero's Journey" to Norway 06:40 Roberts' prize-winning self-portrait 14:00 Three approaches to painting 18.06 Discovering painting skills by accident 22:10 Positive learning experiences at universities 28:34 Teaching at Steven F. Austin State University 34:35 Teaching modernist students 36:30 Including storytelling 40:22 Positive colleagues & gallery 45:30 The World Wide Kitsch Competition 50:15 Dissolved painting technique and movement 56:55 Remington, Brouwer and Rembrandt 1:01:25 Armadillo-Brouwer connection 1:04:21 Brouwer's tension 1:08:14 Studying with Odd Nerdrum This episode was filmed and edited by Bork Nerdrum. The centerpiece was Shaun Roberts' self-portrait "The Messenger". SHOUTOUT to our TOP SPONSORS! Børge Moe Matthias Proy Eivind Josten Fergus Ryan Dean Anthony Anders Berge Christensen Erik Lasky Herman Borge Fernando Ramirez Iver Ukkestad Jack Entz Warner Jared Fountain Jon Harald Aspheim Marion Bu-Pedersen Maurice Robbins Michael Irish Misty DeLaine Richard Barrett Stacey Evangelista Trym Jordahl Yngve Hellan Would you like to get premium access? Become a patron: https://patreon.com/caveofapelles/ Subscribe to our newsletter. It is the only way to make sure that you receive content from us on a regular basis: https://bit.ly/2L8qCNn Check out our other channels: https://www.youtube.com/c/SchoolofApelles https://www.youtube.com/c/CultureWarsNow Podcast available on SoundCloud, iTunes, and Spotify: https://soundcloud.com/caveofapelles https://spoti.fi/2AVDkcT https://apple.co/2QAcXD6 Visit our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/caveofapelles Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/CaveOfApelles For inquiries — talk@caveofapelles.com

The Austrian tonal composer Alexander Blechinger sits down with Jan-Ove Tuv to explain how he achieves the illusion of visual effects in musical works such as his Atomblitz-Ouvertüre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ntDtO9VCLQ In 1982 Blechinger founded Harmonia Classica, an organization devoted to performance of contemporary tonal music and competitions for composers. He talks about their success in a country where the state unilaterally favors modernist culture. Chapter markers: 01:10 Blechinger's interest in music 06:19 How he got into Classical music 13:00 Studying composition 15:35 What is counterpoint and harmony? 19:55 Baroque: the root of our music 21:43 Renaissance and Gothic music 23:36 Renaissance vs Baroque music 26:18 Finding a composition teacher 31:40 The Atomblitz-ouvertüre 39:12 How Blechinger crafts a story (Atomblitz-ouvertüre) 53:20 Harmonia Classica, an organization for "beautiful new music" 56:09 The Harmonia Classica competition 1:00:52 Making "stories of the heart" 1:10:18 Better conditions for classical music 1:15:31 The problem of cultural politics This episode was filmed and edited by Bork Nerdrum. The centerpiece was "Loving couple" by Odd Nerdrum. SHOUTOUT to our TOP SPONSORS! Børge Moe Matthias Proy Eivind Josten Shaun Roberts Fergus Ryan Dean Anthony Anders Berge Christensen Erik Lasky Fernando Ramirez Iver Ukkestad Jack Entz Warner Jared Fountain Jon Harald Aspheim Marion Bu-Pedersen Maurice Robbins Michael Irish Misty DeLaine Richard Barrett Stacey Evangelista Trym Jordahl Yngve Hellan Would you like to get premium access? Become a patron: https://patreon.com/caveofapelles/ Subscribe to our newsletter. It is the only way to make sure that you receive content from us on a regular basis: https://bit.ly/2L8qCNn Check out our other channels: https://www.youtube.com/c/SchoolofApelles https://www.youtube.com/c/CultureWarsNow Podcast available on SoundCloud, iTunes, and Spotify: https://soundcloud.com/caveofapelles https://spoti.fi/2AVDkcT https://apple.co/2QAcXD6 Visit our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/caveofapelles Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/CaveOfApelles For inquiries — talk@caveofapelles.com

Tales and myths have become bedtime stories and Disney movies for children, but it was not always thus. Boris Koller and Jan-Ove Tuv sit down to discuss the collected stories of Brothers Grimm, their explicit content and symbolic meaning. But are the tales meant to be read as metaphors for archetypal characters and aspects of human psychology, or are they rather based on real life events that happened in a time of witches a long time ago?

David Molesky is a former student of Odd Nerdrum, based in North Carolina. He is concerned with the rough manner of late Rembrandt and Titian — a painting method first employed by the Ancient Greek painter Apelles. Molesky contrasts this technique with so-called photo-realism, which he asserts leaves no room for the viewer. But art historians typically interpret the rough technique as "modern", so whose interpretation is accurate? And can you be influenced by this manner of painting without compromising clarity of form and thus wind up as a modernist? Topics from the conversation: 01:12 Molesky's painting "Man in the Forrest" 03:52 The Apelles palette and pre-mixing of colors 06:47 Odd Nerdrum's interest in Pompeii murals, Pliny and Apelles 10:24 Apelles' technique 12:01 Pliny establishes an ideal for painters 14:20 Titian's Flaying of Marsyas 16:57 Reflecting how peripheral vision works 21:00 Apelles' unfinished Aphrodite 26:10 Painterly vs illustrative: David Ligare, Rembrandt and Sargent 31:54 Apelles and Protogenes: A "pre-modernist" technique? 36:19 Having details too! Titian, Rembrandt and Nerdrum 38: 46 Modern art: A poor imitation of classical works? 41:40 Recreating matter with paint 43:40 When Nerdrum painted a scarf in one stroke 49:14 Leaving space for the viewer 55:03 Hoogstraaten on what to keep as you go along 59:48 The "Default Mode Network" 1:06:08 Rembrandt's hermaphrodite self-portrait 1:09:27 The blind seer Tiresias (Metamorphosis and Odyssey) 1:14:50 Rembrandt's references to Tiresias and Apelles 1:18:35 Reading Pliny as a painter makes you aware This episode was filmed and edited by Bork Nerdrum. The centerpiece was a "Man in the Forrest" (2007) by David Molesky. SHOUTOUT to our TOP SPONSORS! Fergus Ryan Shaun Roberts Matthias Proy Eivind Josten Børge Moe Dean Anthony Alastair Blain Anders Berge Christensen Erik Lasky Iver Ukkestad Jack Entz Warner Jared Fountain Jon Harald Aspheim Marion Bu-Pedersen Maurice Robbins Misty DeLaine Richard Barrett Stacey Evangelista Trym Jordahl Yngve Hellan Would you like to get premium access? Become a patron: https://patreon.com/caveofapelles/ Subscribe to our newsletter. It is the only way to make sure that you receive content from us on a regular basis: https://bit.ly/2L8qCNn Check out our other channels: https://www.youtube.com/c/SchoolofApelles https://www.youtube.com/c/CultureWarsNow Podcast available on SoundCloud, iTunes, and Spotify: https://soundcloud.com/caveofapelles https://spoti.fi/2AVDkcT https://apple.co/2QAcXD6 Visit our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/caveofapelles Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/CaveOfApelles For inquiries — talk@caveofapelles.com

In the modern age, many are confused by the dull and meaningless direction of Western culture. Can it truly be called "Western" or "culture" at all? A clear set of values are more important than ever before. That is why a painter and a composer decided to sit down to discuss two alternative solutions. The painter, Jan-Ove Tuv, argues Larry Shiner's point that Art was a deconstructive 18th century invention and that Kitsch is a game changer that can liberate classical culture from the neurosis of modernism. The composer, Martin Romberg, on the other hand, proposes the concept of "Universal Art" as the solution to our current problems, making a bridge back to Aristotle's Poetics, pointing out that Kitsch is problematic both in terms of connotation and terminology. The discussion could be boiled down to one dilemma: Would you rather be associated with Rothko or a garden gnome? 00:00 What is a classical work? 01:30 Original vs new meaning of Art 09:30 Universal, abstract and conservative art 12:59 The power of words 14:11 Kitsch aligns with classical values 16:57 Do people understand what kitsch means? 19:38 Fight for Art or abandon it? 23:55 Kitsch: a change of connotation, not of content 25:30 Emotional reactions are not valid arguments 27:14 The problem of communicating kitsch 29:48 Timelessness 32:13 Classical craft survives when it is not judged as "Art" 40:35 The craftsman is a fisherman 43:57 Immanuel Kant and the garden gnome This episode featured Jan-Ove Tuv & Martin Romberg and was filmed and edited by Bork Nerdrum The centerpiece was a 19th century reproduction of G. F. Watts' Hope. SHOUTOUT to our TOP SPONSORS! Fergus Ryan Shaun Roberts Matthias Proy Børge Moe Eivind Josten Dean Anthony Alastair Blain Anders Berge Christensen Erik Lasky Iver Ukkestad Jack Entz Warner Jared Fountain Jon Harald Aspheim Marion Bu-Pedersen Maurice Robbins Misty DeLaine Richard Barrett Stacey Evangelista Trym Jordahl Yngve Hellan Would you like to get premium access? Become a patron: https://patreon.com/caveofapelles/ Subscribe to our newsletter. It is the only way to make sure that you receive content from us on a regular basis: https://bit.ly/2L8qCNn Check out our other channels: https://www.youtube.com/c/SchoolofApelles https://www.youtube.com/c/CultureWarsNow Podcast available on SoundCloud, iTunes, and Spotify: https://soundcloud.com/caveofapelles https://spoti.fi/2AVDkcT https://apple.co/2QAcXD6 Visit our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/caveofapelles Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/CaveOfApelles For inquiries — talk@caveofapelles.com

David Molesky is a figurative painter who stopped using linseed oil to avoid the toxicity of solvents. He lays the case for walnut oil as a viable — and perhaps even better — alternative.

Carl Korsnes sits down with the young Norwegian painter William Heimdal, who suggests that we are condemned to choose our stories about the world and that a symbolistic approach is more constructive than a materialistic one. Indeed, he even suggests that it will benefit all kitschmen, setting participation in culture radically up against entertainment. Heimdal presents Orthodox Christianity as the solution. This episode was filmed and edited by Bork Nerdrum. The centerpiece was William Heimdal's self-portrait as David with the head of Goliath. SHOUTOUT to our TOP SPONSORS! Fergus Ryan Shaun Roberts Matthias Proy Børge Moe Eivind Josten Dean Anthony Anders Berge Christensen Erik Lasky Fernando Ramirez Iver Ukkestad Jack Entz Warner Jared Fountain Jon Harald Aspheim Marion Bu-Pedersen Maurice Robbins Misty DeLaine Richard Barrett Michael Irish Stacey Evangelista Trym Jordahl Yngve Hellan Would you like to get premium access? Become a patron: https://patreon.com/caveofapelles/ Subscribe to our newsletter. It is the only way to make sure that you receive content from us on a regular basis: https://bit.ly/2L8qCNn Check out our other channels: https://www.youtube.com/c/SchoolofApelles https://www.youtube.com/c/CultureWarsNow Podcast available on SoundCloud, iTunes, and Spotify: https://soundcloud.com/caveofapelles https://spoti.fi/2AVDkcT https://apple.co/2QAcXD6 Visit our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/caveofapelles Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/CaveOfApelles For inquiries — talk@caveofapelles.com

Should you paint landscapes from imagination or climb the highest mountains to observe nature from a birds eye perspective? Boris Koller and Jan-Ove Tuv sit down to talk about their experience, how and where the youngsters go wrong, and the quality of painters like Vermeer, Lars Hertervig, and John Constable. Chapters from this episode: 00:03 Symmetry in painting is death 02:25 Paint what you know 06:21 Why not to use mirrors when you paint 14:28 Echoing or repeating certain elements 16:13 Inventing landscapes 19:50 Structure before rhythm and imbalance 22:22 Horizons are the main problem 24:13 Structure before emotion 28:55 Vermeer: the best landscape composer 30:44 Hertervig's "Borg Island": Dramatize and bind together 38:12 Painting from memory, a photograph, or the motif itself? 43:10 Hertervig unifies sky and earth and "flattens" the image 50:26 No sketches beforehand, like Caravaggio 53:08 Place important elements in the dark! 53:48 Animating nature 55:55 How to paint sunsets This episode was filmed and edited by Bork Nerdrum. The centerpiece was a 19th century reproduction of G. F. Watts' Hope. SHOUTOUT to our TOP SPONSORS! Fergus Ryan Shaun Roberts Matthias Proy Eivind Josten Børge Moe Dean Anthony Alastair Blain Anders Berge Christensen Erik Lasky Iver Ukkestad Jack Entz Warner Jared Fountain Jon Harald Aspheim Marion Bu-Pedersen Maurice Robbins Misty DeLaine Richard Barrett Stacey Evangelista Trym Jordahl Yngve Hellan Would you like to get premium access? Become a patron: https://patreon.com/caveofapelles/ Subscribe to our newsletter. It is the only way to make sure that you receive content from us on a regular basis: https://bit.ly/2L8qCNn Check out our other channels: https://www.youtube.com/c/SchoolofApelles https://www.youtube.com/c/CultureWarsNow Podcast available on SoundCloud, iTunes, and Spotify: https://soundcloud.com/caveofapelles https://spoti.fi/2AVDkcT https://apple.co/2QAcXD6 Visit our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/caveofapelles Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/CaveOfApelles For inquiries — talk@caveofapelles.com

Jan-Ove Tuv sat down for a special interview with Odd Nerdrum to talk about the Egocentric, Geocentric and Heliocentric level — three stages of painting developed by Nerdrum and initially inspired by thoughts proposed by Tuv. ▶ Full video: https://www.patreon.com/caveofapelles

What are we if we do not pay heed to and respect our ancestors? Carl Korsnes, Alastair Blain & Jan-Ove Tuv sit down to talk about how to revitalize the circular view of life. Topics from the conversation: • Honoring ancestry • Linear vs circular time • Aristotle, Epictetus, Kierkegaard and Shostakovich • Regarding history as present: Franz Brentano and Ayn Rand • Revitalizing the circular view of life • The value of being humiliated • The Myers-Briggs test and not taking it personal • The importance of a logical argument • Art as the evil twin of the Enlightenment • Building a positive alternative vs Scrutonism • The genius craze ▶ Full video: https://www.patreon.com/caveofapelles

Jan-Ove Tuv sits down with Nic Thurman to talk about the difference between kitsch and art, focusing on the Kitsch Questionnaire developed by Öde and Bork Nerdrum (with contributions by Thurman). Take the quiz here: https://kitschified.info/quiz/ Topics from the conversation: • The Kitsch Questionnaire wakes people up • Improving upon nature vs. everyday concerns • Is a great work made with joy? • Clarify your values! • Embracing the richness of life • A great painting can make you a better person • Comedy or tragedy? • Sensual enjoyment is the kitsch experience • Drama - or like it actually happened • Is talent given by birth? • There are objective standards ▶ Full video: https://www.patreon.com/caveofapelles

Michael Diamant sheds light on what defines "classical" architecture, and positive news about building projects. He founded the Facebook group "New Traditional Architecture", which is bringing together classically minded architects and lovers of architecture: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Klassisknyproduktion 01:25 Not my original ideas — I learn from what the past did right 03:30 New classical buildings spark optimism and desire to do the same 07:35 Private donations equals classical architecture, state money equals modernism 09:13 How Michel Diamant got involved with architecture 16:31 New buildings are ugly because of modernist ideology 17:39 The modernists avoid open discussions about architecture 20:35 Against Modernism — not modern architecture 22:15 What is "classical" architecture? 25:00 Classical architecture is connected to nature and makes us calm 31:26 The relativistic modernists have hijacked all the institutions 41:33 Diamant's dream scenario: replace all modernists with classicists 44:21 Classical architecture is more environmentally friendly 53:16 The modernists are just stupid people who refuse to learn from the past 59:20 Classical architecture will win the popular opinion 1:10:37 Amateurs are more able than experts 1:12:40 Book recommendations and where to study classical architecture 1:14:30 City planning: Europe's Capitals and Leon Krier's Poundsbury 1:21:15 A wave of restoration of old buildings? 1:28:14 Preserving the material or the historical memory 1:38:14 "We are them, they are us" This episode was filmed and edited by Bork S. Nerdrum. The centerpiece was a photo of the Yale Residential Colleges, 2017 Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects: Melissa DelVecchio, Robert A.M. Stern, Jennifer L. Stone, Graham S. Wyatt (Image Courtesy of Robert AM Stern Architects) SHOUTOUT to our TOP SPONSORS! Fergus Ryan Eivind Josten Shaun Roberts Matthias Proy Børge Moe Anders Berge Christensen Erik Lasky Fernando Ramirez Iver Ukkestad Jack Entz Warner Jared Fountain Jon Harald Aspheim Marion Bu-Pedersen Michael Irish Misty DeLaine Richard Barrett Stacey Evangelista Trym Jordahl Yngve Hellan Would you like to get premium access? Become a patron: https://patreon.com/caveofapelles/ Subscribe to our newsletter. It is the only way to make sure that you receive content from us on a regular basis: https://bit.ly/2L8qCNn Check out our other channels: https://www.youtube.com/c/SchoolofApelles https://www.youtube.com/c/CultureWarsNow Podcast available on SoundCloud, iTunes, and Spotify: https://soundcloud.com/caveofapelles https://spoti.fi/2AVDkcT https://apple.co/2QAcXD6 Visit our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/caveofapelles Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/CaveOfApelles For inquiries — talk@caveofapelles.com

What is it that captivates people about his paintings, what is his life project, and is philosophy the key to reach the highest achievements? Carl Korsnes and Einar Duenger Bøhn sit down to discuss the work of Odd Nerdrum in light of his recent retrospective exhibition "You see we are blind". Topics from the conversation: 00:00 Exhibition openings 01:12 Grotesque and depressing or hopeful and soothing? 03:20 Horrible actions beautifully depicted 09:58 Aristotle on technê: knowing why you do what you do 14:05 A painter with a vision of humanity 18:47 Contemporary painters avoid focusing on the face 21:00 Being shaken up is only possible through a classical form 30:11 Nerdrum's world: past, future or a different realm? 36:46 Day-to-day or timeless: newspaper articles vs. stories and myths 40:45 Nerdrum balances the concrete and the general 45:48 Not abstract and not "too realistic" / hyper realist 50:42 Being cultivated is to understand the commonality of things 57:00 Don't waste time on new books or newspapers 1:04:53 Philosophers of art should learn to draw first 1:08:20 Aristotle's approach 1:10:52 The humanist aspect of drawing 1:15:46 What are we looking at and judging accordingly 1:19:22 At its foundation, Nerdrum's work is philosophical 1:22:30 Is Nerdrum an anarchist painter? ▶ Full video: https://www.patreon.com/caveofapelles

Jan-Ove Tuv, Sebastian Salvo & Alastair Blain sit down to talk about the 19th century landscape painter Lars Hertervig and the mythic potential of the landscape. Topics discussed in this episode: • Hertervig's dreamlike vision vs Constable's recreation of soil • Painting despite lack of social advantages • Was Hertervig "insane" or highly intelligent? • Rejuvenation in timeless images • Hertervig's clouds: pure fantasy, or did he actually look at nature? • Myths describe reality way more accurately • The advantages of painting landscapes in the studio • Plein-air plus eighty five percent black • Combining realism and symbols, empiricism and poetry • Elements in the story that are too personal get cut away • The subject has to strike you first, then it can become archetypal • When your unconscious gets pretentious… • Neurotic myth deniers • Your love or interest for it makes it archetypal ▶ Full video: https://www.patreon.com/caveofapelles