Galerie Birch: EGILL JACOBSEN

EGILL JACOBSEN


	Børge Birch, in front of Egill Jacobsen painting, 1952

Born 1910, Denmark – died 1998

Painter

Education

In 1930 he begins his education in Carl Schwenns paint-school followed by studies at Copenhagen Art Academy in 1932-33

Biography

He took to Paris in 1934 and was inspired by Picasso & Matisse and Egill Jacobsen became quickly one of the important innovators of Danish picturesque art. His interest of African “folk-art” and the quest for the universal in colours and shapes, made him find a theme that since reoccurred throughout all of his artworks: the mask. He was fascinated of this simple archetypical shape and his paintings became very significant for the young generation of spontaneous abstract artists.

He created his own motif-world and his very own picturesque language and it was unavoidable, that Egill Jacobsen became a member of the COBRA-movement, his friendship with Asger Jorn and the other members, and his expressionistic style made him the obvious choice. He was a member from the start in 1948 untill the dissolving of the group in 1951.

With the mask as his main theme he improvised layer on layer – “the colour is emotions rejoinder” as Egill himself expressed it, and the emotions and different frames of mind, made every painting new and distinct from another.

Selected exhibitions

KE 1932, 1936-37, 1951

Corner & Høst 1938-1941

Grønningen 1944-50, 1952, 1954- 58, 1985-93

Reykjavík 1948

Ny Carlsbergfondets jubilee exhibition

L'art danois contemporain, Lyon

Contemporary Art in Scandinavia, Brownstone Gallery, New York

Arte Nordica Contemporanea, Rome

Carnegie Institute

Arts of Denmark, Metropolitan Museum., New York

Guggenheim Museum New York