A Colourful Palette
Mogens Zieler (b. 1905-1983) was wide-ranging in his artistic endeavours. From painting and major decorations to prints, drawings and book art - all of it had a place on Zieler's palette of genres. A small sample of his work is now up for auction.
Zieler was a colourful personality with a humorous approach to life, which his work also bears proof of. Mogens Zieler studied under the artist Harald Giersing in the years 1926-27, before he continued his education at the Graphics School and later the Fresco School at the Copenhagen Academy of Fine Arts.
While the brief time with Giersing influenced Zieler's approach to the visual arts and its legalities, his easily recognizable style was entirely his own. The rhythm of the line, the local colour and the ratio of black and white all form the starting point for the construction of the works, both when it comes to the depictions of the lighter aspects of life as well as heavier subjects,
Cats and Women
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Mogens Zieler's choice of motifs revolved around familiar issues with his wife Bennie and the nature of his surroundings as fixed anchor points. The area around the couple's residence at Sondrup Bakker manifests itself in symbolically charged night sceneries in contrast to the more subtle brushstroke in the depiction of everything from the couple's cats - the white Ulle and the black Bass - to foxes and rowanberries. |
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However, at the same time, Zieler also looked to the diversity found all over the world. In 1939, he and Bennie went on a six-month voyage by ship to Java, Bali and Celebes to find inspiration for a proposed public work in Aarhus. Due to the war, the assignment was never realized, but Zeiler brought the exotic influences home with him in the luggage and they clearly influenced his artistic work from thereon. |
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Mogens Zieler first exhibited in 1926 at the Artists' Autumn Exhibition, from 1934 as a member of the artist association Høstudstillingen (Harvest Exhibition) and from 1945 as part of Decembristerne. Retrospective exhibitions of his works were held at Kunstforeningen (The Art Society) in Copenhagen in 1958 and in Aarhus 1964-65. A particularly extensive representation of his works can be seen at Horsens Art Museum.
Mogens Zieler received the Eckersberg Medal in 1954. |
“Take the hourglass – place it over your mouth
At that very moment, time has died out
There you stand with the dust and sand in your throat
The sun has gone, but soon the rooster will once more gloat
and the sun rises only to fade in reverie
A moment later, that moment is a memory
I ponder with all the faculties of my mind:
What was before? - what will now be defined?
An hourglass emptied, right down south
Then you lie silent - with the sand in your mouth”
Mogens Zieler, November 1968
For further information, please contact:
Niels Raben: +45 8818 1181 · nr@bruun-rasmussen.dk
Niels Boe Hauggaard: +45 8818 1182 · nbh@bruun-rasmussen.dk
Kathrine Eriksen: +45 8818 1184 · ke@bruun-rasmussen.dk
Victor Svane Nielsen: +45 8818 1125 · vsn@bruun-rasmussen.dk
Stephanie Ingemann-Petersen: +45 8818 1185 · sip@bruun-rasmussen.dk
Peter Beck (Aarhus): +45 8818 1186 · pb@bruun-rasmussen.dk
Simon Hyldig (Aarhus): +45 8818 1188 · sh@bruun-rasmussen.dk