ART CITIES: Copenhagen-Ceramics – dreamideamachine ART VIEW

Holdings illustrate the continued endurance of ceramics alongside works exemplifying movements that sought to release the medium of clay from its functional imperative, from abstract expressionism of the late 1950s to the conceptual and post-modern approaches of the 1980s and 90s. Modern and contemporary works equally demonstrate the importance of clay as a medium of sculptural expression. The field of ceramics today is rich and varied.

By Efi Michalaarou
Photo: Galerie Mikael Andersen Archive

At the heart of some of the most important developments of the twentieth century is the opposition between ceramic as a functional form, and ceramic as art. The movement originated in Britain by Bernard Leach in the 1920s and promoted hand-crafted pots for everyday life as a reaction against industry. At the same time, other artists working under the influence of Modernism, including Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, sought to liberate pottery from the imperative of function, treating the vessel as an art form. After World War II, a powerful new direction for ceramics led to a revision of thinking about the possibilities inherent in clay, pushing it in new directions. Peter Voulkos was at the vanguard of this movement. Influenced by abstract expressionism in painting and sculpture, as well as new developments in musi by (John Cage, he set about ripping up forms and slashing plates. The exhibition “Ceramics” shows works by Tjorg Douglas Beer, Bertel Bjerre, Fritz Bornstück and Günther Förg. In Tjorg Douglas Beer’s latest works he draws on the shape of the human head, but in two distinct versions. One resembles an actual head, while the other is an open head, which makes the shape look like a vase. The open head for Beer resembles a connection between the mind and the universe. At the same time, he plays with the decorative character of ceramics in general. The heads are stamped with objects Beer found. The titles of the sculptures are taken from letter / number combinations he stamped onto the ceramics. Bertel Bjerre was originally trained as a craftsman/designer from the School of Applied Arts in Copenhagen. Over the years and after studies in Pientrasanta in northern Italy, he has worked with sculpture and later with painting. Bertel Bjerre lives and works in Vejby in the northern part of Zealand with direct access to Kattegat where nature, the constant changes in weather, light, trees, and seasons are a great source of inspiration. He works primarily with clay and acrylic on paper and his artistic approach bridges between design and nature. Fritz Bornstück’s mundane objects, for instance an oil barrel, a bird, or a fire extinguisher, are the protagonists in his works. Undeniably playful, Bornstück’s ceramics also display an uncanny sense of abandonment, inviting the viewer to get lost in the past, present and possible futures. His inventive works – both sombre and humorous – are full of references to popular culture as well as traditions of still life and landscape painting, thus engaging in a formal discussion to produce a dynamic aesthetic friction. Günther Förg was one of the most significant and prolific German artists of the post-war generation, and his diverse oeuvre spans multiple disciplines. During the 90’s and 00’s, Günther Förg exhibited several times at Galerie Mikael Andersen and participated in large exhibitions at Charlottenborg and Clausholm Castle. The exhibition shows a selection of Förg’s ceramics – many of them executed in Denmark or for shows in Denmark.

Photo: Exhibition view “Ceramics”, Galerie Mikael Andersen- Copenhagen, 2023, Courtesy Galerie Mikael Andersen

Photo: Galerie Mikael Andersen, Bredgade 63, Copenhagen, Denmark, Duration: 2/12/2023-13/1/2024, Days & Hours: Tue-Fri 12:00-18:00, Sat 11:00-17:00, http://mikaelandersen.com/