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La vittoria della felicitalogia
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La Passionaira
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Let me say this right away, Jorn is probably one of the persons who has made the biggest impressions on me. There are not a lot of people who has asked me about Jorn and yet I would like to say, that I´m one of the persons who knew him best. I have travelled with Asger in many years, from country to country and perhaps seen him paint hundreds of paintings. It is not so many distributed over all the years, but it´s enough to learn the artist and the human behind
I feel that I have stood in front of one of the greatest in our time. I also believe that Braque and Picasso were great painters. I have had exhibitions with both in Copenhagen, even without it made the slightest impressions on the Copenhageners. Considered all, I have had my share of failures as an art dealer, but later is has been a great benefit for my gallery’s reputation. In the long run, there are only two places paintings can end and that´s either in a museum or on a bonfire. Jorns paintings end in museums and they are already getting there. Denmark is about to be stripped of paintings by Asger Jorn and today people are begun to look, if it’s a good or less inferior painting. People are no longer afraid to pay more for a smaller painting, if it is in a higher quality and it was unthinkable ten years ago.
Jorn died in his zenith and I regard Jorns latest paintings to be the ultimate in his production. I feel 100 percent certain about this, even if it is against the Danes opinions, but here it is the Danes who are wrong. If Jorn had continued to paint in the same way that he did from 1944 – 1952, he would never have been world-famous, but in 1953 he made huge progress.
He came to Italy and started collaborate with a really good art dealer Carlo Cardazzo, who had the ability to see Jorns high value as an artist and he also had the connections to place paintings at wealthy businessmen with taste for international art and ample amounts of money to buy whatever they wanted. It was a huge step in making Jorn famous but the recognition didn´t reach Denmark. I had one of the last exhibitions with Jorn in Copenhagen in 1972. The paintings were made in Læsø and had it been in Italy, Paris, Brussels or USA, would an exhibition with Jorns paintings have been packing them in but in the three weeks the exhibitions lasted, only 65 persons visited the gallery. It was one of his finest exhibitions and he wasn´t expensive. Denmark is not exactly a centre for art.
I have been so careful and respectful to save all my correspondence with Asger. There are people who have tried to convince me to write a book about Jorn, but I don´t think I could do it, an interview perhaps. I think most people would be a little disappointed if they read the correspondence between Jorn and me, it would all be about: Dear Børge, please send more money – and then there could also be mentioned the nice weather and he was in the making of 3-4 paintings I could have. My answer was always: I don´t think 4 paintings is enough, could you raise it to 5 or 6? – I will come with some money to you. Asger and I had the same accountant and it proved to be a good decision, because we were both sure to get the outstanding between us,- Asger always got the money and I always got the paintings. Sometimes it could take awhile to raise the money or make the paintings, but Asger was so professional that he knew the conditions for international art dealing.
Asger was an exceptional man, a very respectful man and a very respected man.
When we were in Paris and strolled past the art dealers in Rue de Seine and they saw Asger walking outside, they always waved at him. Many cabdrivers and restaurateurs knew him. He was very popular wherever he went.
This modest contribution about my friend Jorn, you see, is insufficient – I can see that and yet it is not without importance – not to me anyway and that’s the case with Jorns wall here in FIAC 1986. Small – modest – nothing that can be sold – just a joy for me. That will do fine.
Børge Birch
