Asger Jorn

Arthur Tooth & Sons, London.
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Porter
Mr. & Mrs. Frank H. Porter Trust Estate
Sale Christie's London, 20 October 2004, lot 77
Sale Bruun Rasmussen Bredgade Copenhagen, October 9, 2006, lot 31

Virtus Schade, Asger Jorn, Stig Vendelkaer, Copenhagen, 1965, p. 97
Virtus Schade, Asger Jorn, Stig Vendelkaer (paperback), Copenhagen, 1968. p. 79
G.Atkins, Asger Jorn, The crucial years: 1954-1964, Copenhagen 1977, no. 1427, illustrated

This work is in very good condition. There is some paint shrinkage and cracks in the dark blue painted areas situated in the centre of the work and along the extreme right edge and also in the dark green colour painted in the upper right part of the work as can be seen in the catalogue.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The 1960s were years of immense change. Not only was the world rapidly transforming physically, but also socially and intellectually. Sartre's existentialistic influences had caught the western world's attention, and a mood of immediacy and scepticisme dominated society. Jorn saw the Internationale Situationniste's declaration that the history of painting was about to die, become a reality.
A look into the past must be viewed in this important context. Whilst working on a series of Luxury Paintings, a form of drip paintings, as well as his famous Detourned Paintings, where he was altering existing cheap paintings into new and experimenting with the question of if, and in what way, can originality be eliminated, he kept on returning to his most favourite theme: Nordic History and Mythology

Images were for Jorn the most basic expression of the human imagination and mental landscape. He had used the theme of the pre-historic and mythological beast, both mentally and physically, as well as other obscure figures, on many occasions. He remained pre-occupied with ancient Norse mythology and pictorial tradition throughout his life. As a whole, the Danish avant-garde in the 1950s and 1960s was inspired by the prehistoric age, the Viking Age and medieval art. Jorn was especially taken by the Nordic culture, believing that stories came forth out of pictures and not the other way around.
(sourse; Asger Jorn, exhibition catalogue, Denmark, Arken Museum; the Netherlands, Cobra Museum; Germany, Kunsthalle zu Kiel, 2003. Asger Jorn 1914-1973, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, 1994.)