Cityscapes, Tintin and the Grim Reaper

Cityscapes and Photographers

Jesper Christiansen (b. 1955) is known for his deserted images with depictions of houses, walls and furniture. Included in the auction is a work from his series of word-paintings from the 1990s, where he with the help of geometrical and perspectival colour surfaces creates abstract cityscapes seen from above and equips them with different words. In this case, the works refer to the world of photography. The title ”La chambre claire” is identical with the French theoretician Roland Barthes’ major work about photographic art. But the painting also uses the terminology of photographic art with the word ”focus” as well as the names of some of history’s greatest photographers, such as Brassaï, Abbott and Arbus.

Tintin and the Erotic Women

The auction presents two works by Ole Ahlberg (b. 1949), who achieved his big public breakthrough with the erotic paintings and lithographs where Tintin, Captain Haddock and Snowy from Hergé’s famous comic book are shown in awkward meetings with beautiful undressed women. Ahlberg’s work often contains references to art history as well, as is the case with one of the paintings up for auction: Tintin is in the company of one of the women from Gustav Klimt’s paintings. The other painting ”Overmodent landskab” (Overripe Landscape) from 1986 is an example of another facet of Ahlberg’s artistic oeuvre. The lush spring forest, a blue butterfly, a snake’s skin and withered leaves juxtapose nature’s life-giving force with its impermanence.

Art at the Museum

We stay in the world of comic books with Martin Bigum (b. 1966) and his two depictions of his familiar hooded and scythe-carrying figure named Art. Throughout the 1990s the figure was a permanent fixture of Bigum’s universe. Art references art history’s depiction of death but also functions as a personification of art. In one of the works, the depressed Art is hanging in a museum alongside other works of art, while he in the other piece with the title ”We brought you in here…” appears not wanting to leave the museum again, in spite of the rough efforts of three well-dressed gentlemen trying to tear him from the wall.

These works are being sold alongside many other modern works of art on Tuesday, 15 August. You are welcome to come by our location at Søren Frichs Vej 34 D in Aarhus to get a better look at the works before the auction. View opening hours here

View the lots with modern art and design here