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To CoBirch "bravissimo"
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Congratulation
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Born in Tevuren Belgium 1922 - Died 1979.
Painter, poet
Biography
From childhood he was surrounded by literature and art; his father edited and published periodicals about art, and Dotremont very early started to do the same. Through all his life Dotremont experimented with the art - wanted to find the importance of art. Incessant he worked with words - pictures and signs looking and uncovering the facets of art. Dotremont couldn't stop playing with words and concepts - twist them in his own philosophic way, and each time end up with a surprising result. Even though he worked with many aspects the most important was always the words. Dotremont was a poet; he expressed his feelings and thoughts to the spectator on the beautiful whiteness of the paper. He created torn signs from written arabesques, which he named 'Logograms'.
As a poet Dotremont became involved with Belgian surrealists in 1940, and soon he became involved with a couple of surrealistic groups in France as well. From 1943 he edited and wrote a long list of magazines and papers about art in both countries.
In 1945 he made the foundation of the surrealistic magazine La Main et la Plume followed in 1947 when he founded the french-belgian group le surréalisme révolutionnaire. In 1948 he was one of six to found COBRA in Paris alongside his friends Asger Jorn and Corneille.
As organizer Dotremont gave COBRA all of his heart, and as artist he contributed with dessin-mots - pictures of words and words as pictures inspired by the calligraphy of the East. - "The Cobra lived 1001 nights" - This statement came from Dotremont, and for 1001 days he was the very active ambassador, writer and organizer of COBRA. All his life, Dotremont was in mutual dependence on art. He for his part got the proper forum to display his skills, and in turn he contributed with his dynamic way of being, with talents for writing and organizing, with feelings for the art, and with his growing experiences as editor.
Before the artists connected to COBRA was scattered to the four winds, they had three turbulent years together from 1948 until 1951. They had the spontaneous way of expression in common and the talent and skills to express themselves in this way. Dotremont was the leading figure and coordinator navigating COBRA through the high waves that came, and he found the money to publish the periodical COBRA as long as he could. The collaboration between the artists meant fellowship, co-exhibitions, travellings, reciprocal inspiration and collective decorations. The second large COBRA exhibition was held at the Palais des beaux-Art in Liege in 1951. During COBRA time this was the last exhibition. Soon after the exhibition at Palais des beaux-Art COBRA as a group ended due to sickness (both Jorn and Dotremont were send to hospital caused by TB), internal disagreements (especially between Jorn and Dotremont) and lack of financial funds.
Post-COBRA Dotremont stayed in contact with many of the artists involved in the group, with whom he created collective dessin-mots.
Børge Birch and Dotremont stayed close friends untill the all to early death of him in 1979. To Børge Birchs 75 year birthday, Dotremont made 14 of his well-famous "logograms".
Represented at the following Danish Museums
Randers Kunstmuseum
KUNSTEN Museum of Modern Art Aalborg
Museum Jorn
Horsens Kunstmuseum
Email request to Galerie Birch on current artworks for sale
