3 Themes on modern auction

Contemporary Danish Art

In recent years, the new Danish artists have had much success at galleries and museums in Demark and abroad, and in this development Bruun Rasmussen is now in the vanguard. This autumn’s modern auction in Bredgade presents a wide selection of the younger shooting-stars along with works by the older and more established artists.

The hammer prices at the modern auction in the spring proved that the contemporary Danish artists are quite able to compete with more established artists whose works are perhaps a more familiar auction component. Certain younger artists are even so much in demand that their works can be hard to come by at the galleries – and this is where the auction is a really good opportunity.

Just now, the Danish painting scene is characterized by a vitality and diversity that makes it fair to speak of a boom in Danish painting. Kathrine Ærtebjerg (b. 1969), who had her auction debut this spring and is currently featured in a solo exhibition at the art gallery Gl. Stand, is now once again to be found at the auction in Bredgade. Here she is flanked by Tal R. (b. 1967), John Kørner (b. 1967), Kasper Bonnén (b. 1968) and Eske Kath (b. 1975) who are all just about her age.

Guests at the auction will also find beautiful works by artists of the preceding generation: Erik A. Frandsen (b. 1957), Christian Lemmerz (b. 1959) and Michael Kvium (b. 1955).

Poul Kjærholm

In the catalogue for the large-scale presentation of furniture designer Poul Kjærholm’s works at Louisiana, Poul Erik Tøjner quotes a brief exchange of words between Kjærholm and an unnamed colleague. The colleague claims that sitting in a Kjærholm-chair makes your back ache. Kjærholm replies that, conversely, looking at a chair made by the colleague is a pain to the eye. Tøjner concludes that Kjærholm is able to reply in this way – “aside from whatever pertness he may have possessed” – because his furniture design is concerned with the whole thing. In a manner of speaking, his furniture is designed for the back as well as the eye.

Kjærholm’s furniture is at once clear constructions, functional furniture and beautiful, sharp-cut definitions of space.

Following the critically acclaimed Louisiana exhibition, Bruun Rasmussen presents an impressive selection of the most coveted Kjærholm models.

Focussing especially on the versions from E. Kold Christensen, the auction offers among other pieces several PK-80 daybeds in original light or black leather. Also included in the auction are several PK-54 tables with tops in either Porsgrunn or Greenlandic marble with fossils as well as several sets of PK-9 chairs in original light or black leather and PK-55 coffee-tables.

Furthermore, the Kjærholm selection includes a number of early prototypes with great appeal to collectors and museums.

Source: Poul Erik Tøjner, “Kjærholmkult”, Poul Kjærholm – Møbelarkitekt, a catalogue edited by Michael Juul Holm and Lise Mortesen, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk 2006.

North Atlantic Art

For centuries, Iceland and The Faroe Islands have had close cultural ties to Denmark. Several artists from these islands have studied and lived in Denmark in various phases of their careers. Iceland’s Thorvaldur Skúlason (1906-1984), for example, studied for a while at The Royal Academy of Fine Art in Copenhagen along with artists like Ejler Bille and Vilhelm Bjerke Petersen. The “Father” of modern Faroese painting, Samuel Joensen-Mikines (1906-1979) also studied at the academy under, among others, Ejnar Nielsen.

Many Icelandic and Faroese artists have returned to the North after a sojourn in Denmark. The most crucial of the common artistic references for these artists are the everyday-life in the villages and the spectacular and dramatic nature on these islands.

The classic masters have long achieved high prices at auctions, but today an increasing interest for the more contemporary paintings is also felt.

At the modern auction of this autumn the classic North Atlantic masters are accompanied by such artists as Ingálvur av Reyni, Zacharias Heinesen, Frimod Joensen, Amariel Nordoy, Jón Stefánsson, Jóhannes Kjarval, Svavar Gudnason and Anna Gunnlögsdottir.

Prewiev: October 4th - 9th

Auction: October 9th - 13th