Erland Cullberg

Cullberg's "The Scream" demonstrates his inspiration from, and his admiration of, Edvard Munch's artistry. Cullberg's painting is based upon Munch's iconic painting of the same name. Munch himself, and many in his family, had experienced mental conditions and situational instabilities inclusive of what appeared to be symptoms of schizophrenia. "The Scream" is generally interpreted as a visual metaphor used by Munch to express his own mental instability, personal failures, and anxieties. The exact nature of the work and subsequently its interpretations continue to make for a lively discourse. Shortly after painting "The Scream", Munch entered a mental health facility as he had been hearing "voices". Perhaps beyond an artistic kinship, given his own mental health issues, Cullberg may have felt a level of identification with the intent and circumstances which led Munch to produce "The Scream". In Cullberg's version, the central motif is recreated within his own style, becoming a work of Cullberg, as opposed to Cullberg reproducing only a copy of Munch's work.

Cullberg seemed to believe, or at least to suggest a belief, in external metaphysical forces which, at times, assisted him in the creation of his works. This belief has been suggested, or alluded to, by many artists. Wassily Kandinsky's works often dealt with metaphysical representations. The Northern European "Romanticists" produced "intensity meditative images" which sought to channel their own inner spiritual truth(s). Perhaps, the concept was taken the furthest by Hilma af Klint. Klint produced the first truly abstract artworks known; she developed her artwork in what she believed was direct communication with the metaphysical world through seance and automatic writing. Art critic Susanna Slöör shares one story about Cullberg and the metaphysical world. Cullberg had received a visit from a fellow artist who commented on the success of a particular painting. Cullberg is said to have stated, emphatically, that the work was an "Ängladyk". "Ängla, dyk", translated to English, means "angel dive" (the work was driven by angels/metaphysical forces). Slöör, in writing about the possible connotation of this suggestion by Cullberg, compared it to a belief held by monks who painted religious pictures with the faith, or hope, that the divine would lead them to successfully produce their religious artworks. The monks had thus become a channel for use by the divine. In applying the concept to modern day artists who might attribute their work to such a metaphysical interaction, Slöör suggests such a moment usually occurs when the artist completes a successful work but is not able to explain precisely to themselves or others how they achieved it. In 1977, Cullberg perhaps returned to, or confirmed this belief when he produced a work titled "Ängladyk". "Ängladyk" was included in his exhibition at Konstakademien, Salarna, Stockholm. Other works in the exhibition included "Shelly's Death" (1979), "Unknown Poet" (1982) and "The Wizard's Pupil" (2007).

In 2018, Cullberg's sibling Dr. Johan Cullberg recalled the night in 1956 when Erland Cullberg was discovered outside his home in Stockholm. Erland, barely able to speak, had claimed he had spoken to both Picasso and Mozart. Johan began the process to commit Erland for psychiatric care. Erland was placed in Beckomberga, a mental facility in Bromma. When Johan next visited Erland, he was horrified to find him tied to a bed and in an unsanitary state. This would cause Johan to have a deep dislike of Beckomberga and may have contributed to his lifelong passion for developing supportive and reasonable care for those facing mental issues. Erland would receive in excess of one hundred Electroconvulsive therapy sessions along with high doses of medication. Despite the treatment, Erland remained depressed. In 1961, Johan would become a psychiatrist and eventually would take over Erland's treatment and successfully lower his medication levels. Throughout the ordeal, Erland continued to paint.

Many have considered the impact that schizophrenia may have had on his art. Art critic Leif Mattsson premised that, for Cullberg, it was both "his muse and his cross"; his perception of the "supersensible and labile" created "redemption" but it also imprisoned him. Art critic and commentator Olle Granath wrote that some had "romanticized" Cullberg as a reclusive artist with a mental disease. Granath felt that Cullberg's artworks stood on their own merits and should not be overly contextualized within a framework of his life and his illness.

In 1980, Anders Widoff spoke with Cullberg in his studio. The artist spoke about his personal life and his artwork. Cullberg recalled his father and what he seemed to feel were his own failings in regards to his father's teaching. Cullberg's father was a Bishop of the Diocese of Västerås. Cullberg felt he was born in the same light as Jesus but had now become inferior to him saying, "if you step off that light, then it's down to hell direct". Cullberg went on to suggest that such a theme might be a good one for a painting. He imagined the motif as a "machine that gobbles up people." Cullberg claimed that he did not distinguish between good and evil himself. Cullberg made a distinction between his drawing and sketching and that of his painting. Although much of his drawing or sketching was related to his painting style, he nonetheless found that when drawing he would, or could, face a "crisis situation". However, in painting, Cullberg added humorously that he would become a "real bastard with the colors". He described his painting multiple canvases simultaneously as "feast days". Cullberg believed that when others saw both him and his works, they would recognize that he was trying to create, "some sort of flint-hard spiritual being...which can burst and become a song." For all of his success and his recognition, Cullberg simply "wished" to go to Hawaii. For him, going to Hawaii meant new clothes and music. In Hawaii, there is "song in the air."

Cullberg had exhibited his work since 1961. After his debut, he continued to exhibit, almost yearly, at institutions and private galleries. A total of forty-seven solo exhibitions were held between the years of 1961 and 1985. He was well known by fellow artists. He and his work had developed a kind of "mythological" status, particularly in his use of color, among his peers. His breakthrough with the general public occurred during the 1980s. He participated in a traveling exhibition that was shown in Sweden at numerous art institutes and was well received by the public. The exhibition then traveled to Centre Culturel Suédois in Paris. His breakthrough was further secured in 1986 when the Moderna Museet held a widely recognized/publicized exhibition of his works. The Moderna Museet also named Cullberg "Artist of the Year". In 2008, one of Cullberg's last full-scale public exhibitions took place at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. In the 1980s, artist Anders Widoff filmed a documentary on Cullberg. The documentary, "Övermålaren (The Painter)" was filmed at the artist's studio. The film addressed Cullberg's near obsession with painting, his work, his method of painting and his schizophrenia. On October 14, 2016, The Erland Cullberg Park was dedicated. The park has been described as a small oasis in Tureberg (a municipality in Sollentuna). Both siblings of Cullberg were in attendance as well as political party members of all "blocs". Also in attendance was Göran Lager, the man who initially rented Cullberg his studio in Sollentuna where Cullberg would reside until his death. In May, 2019, siblings Staffan and Johan established the Erland Cullberg scholarship for young artists.

Nationalmuseum, Stocholm, Sweden; Moderna Museum, Stockholm, Sweden; Göteborgs konstmuseum, Göteborgs, Sweden; Borås konstmuseum, Borås, Sweden; Östergötland Länsmuseum, Linköping, Sweden; Norrköpings Museum, Norrköping, Sweden; Västerås konstmuseum, Västerås, Sweden; Åbo konstmuseum, Turku, Finland; Statens Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark; Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte der hansestadt Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.