Roland Dufström, Sorteringsverket 13/20, 1963, Woodblock Print

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“Sorteringsverket” (“The Sorting Plant” / “The Sorting Works”) is an original colour woodcut by Swedish artist Roland Dufström, created in … Read more “Sorteringsverket” (“The Sorting Plant” / “The Sorting Works”) is an original colour woodcut by Swedish artist Roland Dufström, created in 1963 and issued in a notably small edition of only 20 impressions. The present example is hand-signed in pencil, dated “-63”, titled on the sheet and numbered 13/20.
The composition depicts an industrial waterfront at night. A long illuminated structure stretches across the darker field, while angular buildings, water, reflections and isolated points of warm artificial light create a restrained, almost cinematic atmosphere. Dufström reduces the scene to a limited Nordic palette of blue-grey, charcoal, graphite and muted ochre, allowing the architecture and reflected light to carry the composition.
The work is especially effective because it sits between representation and abstraction. from a distance, the image reads as an arrangement of horizontal bands, dark silhouettes and geometric shapes; viewed more closely, the industrial setting, water and human figure become legible. This balance gives the print a distinctly post-war modern character.
Lars Roland Dufström (1904–1976) was born in Fryksände, Värmland, Sweden. Apart from a short period of study with Tapani Lemminkäinen in Finland, he was largely self-taught. After working professionally as a painter, he devoted himself fully to art in the early 1950s and became particularly associated with colour woodcuts, often printed in very small editions.
Dufström’s print runs are documented as rarely exceeding 20 impressions, making the present edition of 13/20 characteristic of his working practice. He was also connected with the regional artistic circle around Norra Värmlands Konstförening and Grupp Nordvärmland.
“Sorteringsverket” is a strong example of Scandinavian industrial imagery from the early 1960s: quiet rather than heroic, graphic rather than documentary, and built around atmosphere, structure and controlled colour. Its steel-blue palette and architectural subject give it a particularly strong presence in Scandinavian modern, industrial and loft interiors.
Presented in a vintage silver-tone frame with mount and glazing. This piece has an attribution mark,
I am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
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