ABU Art Appreciation
ABU realized the value of imagery and the memory from the earliest days as their catalogs started with simple line drawings, sketches and quickly moved to B&W images, then Colour photographic images and later sculptures/relief works in the 70's. Please enjoy these spanning nearing 5 decades starting in the 40's.
ABU Early Line Art
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 ABU Early Photographs
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My all time favourite image from ABU, Napp och Nytt was produced for the 1956 catalog and evokes in me, many happy childhood fishing moments. I certainly didn't have a fine Record casting reel like this lucky boy, but for kids it was not the technology being employed, rather grasping the freedom, excitement and opportunity of the moment!
May kids worldwide continue always to experience these joys!
A second image that brings back childhood fishing memories!
Friendships via fishing reminiscent of the old Rod and Real combo.
Pure enjoyment for this Lapp boy in 1960.
ABU also recognizes the low technology approach to fishing by kids with bamboo pole and fixed line.
ABU were quick to recognize fishing could be an enjoyable family pursuit.
Girls and kids of all ages enjoy the excitement of fishing if taught to be competent when young
These 2 Covers below from Napp och Nytt 2002/2004 grace the walls of my home
More updates courtesy of Len Borgstrom.
I just got the pictures of the bronze reliefs telling the history of
sport fishing. These are mounted in the entrance to the factory in
Svängsta and were made by Hjalmar Ekberg – at that time a worker at
the factory. Two copies were made for Garcia and mounted on their
wall at their
R
L
After some discussion with Len Borgstom, (quotes below) I have learned a lot more about the working environment of A.B.Urfabriken in Svangsta.
So you can see ABU's appreciation for fine art was present from the beginning and continues to this day.
Art was not merely created on paper with pen and ink or watercolours or photographs, it was also cast in bronze as small limited edition objects d'art to be won in fishing competitions as well as massive corporate casting, some of which Len Borgstrom has kindly invited us into his home to share with us here.
The Marlin, typical universal exaggerating fisherman and School of Salmon
I was well aware of the consideration of aesthetics by the company to produce such beautiful products but it seems the employees were immersed in fine art even when relaxing at lunch time.
"As I have mentioned in my book, we also had an active Art Club at ABU. We invited known Swedish artists to hang their art in the ABU cafeteria so that every employee got a chance to constantly be exposed to fine art."
We all remember the beautiful Jubilee year in 1971 when the covers of Napp och Nytt /Tight Lines changed from the traditional photographic fishing images to artistic paintings. Unfortunately this approach lasted for 10 years only.
The
covers of Napp
och
Nytt
were
created by
well known artists. We got tired of doing what everybody else did –
having products or some fisherman holding a fish on the cover. I
have mentioned this in my book. We started with that idea 1971 with
a famous illustrator Ib Thaning ,
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ABU was also responsible for furthering the artistic careers of several of its employees.
Enjoy these fabulous images of Swedish fish, as commissioned by ABU with artist Rolf Smedman in the 70's.
A beautiful collection of scans courtesty of Andrews of Arcadia Scrapbook.
It is the
innovative work of Swedish
artist Anders Osterlin
Friday, 19 December 2014
Advent-under-the-Counter: Anders Osterlin in Arcadia
Advent-in-Arcadia
continues Under
the Counter Madam! with the last remaining and
especially-kept- for-Christmas ABU Poster illustrated by the
Swedish artist Anders Osterlin for the art and design collective
known as Arbman. Osterlin employed a technique which he
himself developed of laying numerous colours over foil and was
adopted for use by Andy Warhol at The Factory. It is a
priceless work of art which you can buy for only £50.
There is only one so please don't hestitate.
"Two
employees ended up being full time sculptors. One of them (Hjalmar
Ekberg) made the four piece relief showing the history of fishing,
hanging in the entrance stairways to the main factory in Svangsta.
The other artist (Johnny Martinsson) made the relief showing my
father located outside the same factory.
ABU Art featured in other Books
eg Vic McCristal's Practical Fishing with Lures"
Many fishing writers chose to depict the use of ABU gear, and display their catch alongside their chosen fishing equipment, viz ABU