Richard Mortensen was a visionary force in Danish art in the 20th century. One cannot compare him to others.
To truly appreciate his work, it is wise to first visit the late part of the exhibition, namely at the Kunstcenteret Silkeborg Bad. Here, one can fully experience the uniqueness of his work. The elegant museum building with remnants of historical intricacies and a breathtaking view of Silkeborg’s lake nature is the perfect backdrop for his late works, which began in the 1960s. With this hanging, one does not need to speculate on what Mortensen did before he became the concrete Mortensen with his sharp lines and dazzling colors. It is like a new work, bursting forth from the god’s mind.
In the column hall, one can see how his new works in the 60s translate into a mix of media. The paintings are exhibited alongside ink drawings, vibrant wooden reliefs, and collages that are difficult to capture in photographs. It is a revelation to see them come to life in paper’s overlapping forms, which seem to have surprised their creator at times. Suddenly a blackbird or a flag appears, noted by the artist under the work. One cannot help but think of Matisse’s late works here. There is calmness, clarity, and balance. And that is what Mortensen sought with his sharp constructions – an almost Eckersbergian solidity, calmness, and logic in his work. But form was not enough.
The color had been his focus ever since his years of apprenticeship, studying Kandinsky and delving into the writings of color theorist Johannes Itten. The hues often alternate, sometimes balancing between the dazzling and the subdued. These opposing tendencies are exhibited within the same space – the Panorama Hall – where the large, dynamically colorful, six-part piece “Sønderbro” has claimed its wall, while “Tantra-vision. With a Gallic Palette” from 1984, with its soft colors, does not allow anyone to pass by without feeling affected. This is especially true when one encounters the four pieces titled “Antiklimaks. Zen-image. Haiku I-IV” on the top floor.
One can debate the extent to which Mortensen flirted with and immersed himself in Zen Buddhism. The soundless, swift sword that brings resolution in a fateful moment is actually missing, but the more meditative form of Buddhism is convincingly portrayed through ink calligraphy.
Originally, Mortensen painted the series “Stilhedens Sal” specifically for the Aarhus Art Building, but now it hangs here, densely and actively, in a rather small room. One can simply sink into a beanbag chair and immerse oneself in the artist’s world of form and color. Undisturbed and lost in the moment. One leaves the exhibition feeling purified, clear, and free, for the exhibition itself has conveyed this sense of release. Very well-thought-out, elegant, and impressive.
But, as mentioned, Mortensen didn’t simply wash up on the Danish shores from the modernist Paris. Within the sheltered confines of the Art Center, one enters the world of culture at the Silkeborg Art Museum, first encountering the almost bourgeoisie living room where Mortensen’s set and costume designs for his favorite composer Stravinsky’s “The Nightingale” are on display. This is far from “just” Svend Johansen. Something new is in the works here, in 1945.
The grand arching hall displays Mortensen’s organic, semi-figurative paintings from the 1930s to the 1950s. A beautiful series of at times highly imaginative and boldly painted canvases, including “Figure in a Disturbed Landscape” and “Homage to Rimbaud” as the masterworks. Sketched and varied versions are shown in the rooms next door. The inspiration from Picasso for the Rimbaud painting, as well as the more personal exercises, are seen stored from his youth and bloom in his later work. The art museum’s exhibition is far more pedagogical and informative compared to the exhilarating experience at the Spa.
Informative texts can be found behind the artwork in each room. Two completely different approaches to the same artist in two different ages and circles. The catalog features a series of the images, but photos cannot keep up. Jan Würtz Frandsen does not take small-minded considerations for the audience’s familiarity with obscure and sophisticated words. It may not matter, as the focus here is to see, to feel both dynamism and an unusual firmness and serenity.
www.ftn-books.com has several publications on Mortensen available.
