A humanist in the broadest sense of the word, Jorn uses all the conventional techniques to express himself: painting, drawing, graphic art, ceramics and sculpture, guided by a determination to reconcile art and life. The exhibition contains approximately 60 paintings, 40 drawings, 70 engravings, 9 bibliophile books and 9 sculptures.

A student of Fernand Léger’s at the Académie Contemporaine in Paris, Asger Jorn was soon seduced by the Surrealist tendency represented by Miró, Ernst and Arp, though he also turned to images from Scandinavian legends to create compositions that range from independent figures to multifaceted landscapes inhabited by animals. His palette of colours shows a debt to Van Gogh, Ensor, Munch and Nolde.

With the artists Appel, Constant, Corneille, Dotremont and Noiret, Jorn founded the group Cobra late in 1948. The principles of the movement are experimentation, transgression of categories and artistic hierarchies, and the disappearance of private interests in favour of group work. Inspiration from popular Scandinavian images and all forms of popular culture in general, from Surrealism, the works of Klee and Picasso and prehistoric art also became a common feature. The group broke up late in 1951.

Contributor(s)
Author(s): Pierre Alechinsky, Troels Andersen, Enrico Baj, Valeriano Bozal, Guy Debord, Nuria Enguita Mayo, Asger Jorn, Pedro G. Romero, Antonio Saura, Peter Shield.

Catalogue to an exhibition of the varied oeuvre of Asger Jorn, one of the co-founders of Cobra. Lavishly illustrated with photographs of his canvasses, sculptures, etchings and books. Troels Andersen, director of the Silkeborg Kunstmuseum in Denmark, wrote a biography.