Søren Sejr's Subtle Reduction
For the artist Søren Sejr, the goal is to get to the meat of the matter in the painting process. His motifs are often without a motif in the sense that they are pure surfaces composed of harmonious colour tones that are broken by different textures. What remains for the viewer is a refined and calm image that should appeal to any aesthetician.
On Tuesday 10 May at 8 pm (CEST), you can bid on two works by the Aarhus-based artist Søren Sejr (b. 1981), who in recent years has become an artist to watch on the Danish contemporary art scene. He has been represented at a number of solo exhibitions in Denmark and at group exhibitions in places such as Miami, New York and Stockholm. In one of the offered works (from 2017), the composition is pieced together from surfaces created by carefully matched colours such as pink, lemon, burgundy and red. A contrast is created in the work with ochre-coloured crayons, which settles as spontaneous lines on top of the surface of the image. The technique is a recurring feature in Sejr's art and adds a different type of texture compared to the underlying brushstrokes with acrylic paint resulting in a marked counterpoint to the otherwise tight expression. One of his older more figurative paintings can be seen on the back of the canvas.
About the ArtistOne of the works up for auction marks a clear change in Sejr's idiom. Between 2016 and 2017, a shift takes place, where the usual abstract figures (that you can experience on the back of this work as well) disappear from his compositions. He begins to work more as a pure formalist, where he elevates the materials and colour surfaces themselves as the central elements of his artwork. With limited means, he creates beautiful and simple works that play up against various previous directions in art history – for example, Concrete Art in Denmark, which especially unfolded after World War II with names such as Richard Mortensen and Robert Jacobsen. Today, Sejr also works with monochrome canvases where the black colour has taken centre stage. In these works, one can see a connection to the work of French master Pierre Soulages, who goes by the name "The painter of black" but who actually works in depth with light. As with Soulages, the black surfaces are also broken up in Sejr’s work by the light by means of different shades and textures in the brushstrokes. |
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Would You Like to See the Paintings?
Søren Sejr's works are on display at our location in Aarhus at Søren Frichs Vej 34D from Friday 29 April until the auction on 10 May. Everyone is welcome!
For further information, please contact:
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Peter BeckPeter BeckHead of valuation / Modern & Contemporary Art / Aarhus |
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Niels Boe-HauggaardNiels Boe-HauggaardHead of Department / Modern & Contemporary Art / København |
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Kathrine EriksenKathrine EriksenSpecialist / Modern & Contemporary Art / København |