HIDDEN IMAGES

Going through the Bozar Expo magazine at the end of last year I discovered that a painter I knew nothing about - was to have a retrospective of his work in Brussels. What I think attracted me most to this exhibition was that it was called The «Forbidden Paintings» of Kurt Schwitters. This is a period in Germany when the artist’s work did not «correspond to history» . Expressionism. I talked about in an earlier chapter. A period which I am passionate about. Energy, coulour, space, movement and works which are so unpredictable for so many artists we know. «Is that really Nolde?» «No, it couldn’t be a Kandinsky?»I was never wildly attracted to Schwitters collages but knew little about his painting. This was going to be a «double» discovery.

Kirkeby had fallen in love with Schwitter’s landscapes and could identify with his liberated style of painting. Would I?

Kirkeby, Danish, born in 1938, has always explored the relationships between nature and abstraction, landscape and architecture. On the whole, his paintings are monumental, vigorous brush strokes but the colours differ from period to period. His sculptures are in my book, less interesting.

There were 10 major rooms to go through. We started with his early work.

I didn’t know what I was looking at. Abstract? No. Realist? No. Collage? No...I walked back and forth trying to find the key to see whatever those who were standing in front of his paintings were seeing. Germans, English, and of course the Belges were talking and discussing his work with a great deal of enthusiasm. What was I missing? Suddenly I saw a girl go up to a very large tryptic and point her hand to various «colours»...I waited until the three people moved on - and - moved forward. Suddenly I saw. Hidden images and then of course his work became fascinating.Standing away from a painting perhaps you saw nothing but moving in toward it, shapes turned into animals, people, mythical creatures and so much more.
"Pferd" 1981-private collection



The experts say that he was influenced by the 19th century and many other earlier periods. I couldn’t see it. What I could see is that Kirkeby can not be classified. Some of his later work, for instance his trees, are not trees, but perhaps majestic tree trunks and there, there are no hidden images that I could find. I tried though! It didn’t matter. I had fallen in love with his work. You have to enter into it. Go up the lanes he has painted for you. Be drawn in by hidden faces which are waiting to welcome you. Ride horses through the sky - then move away and the images are barely visible any longer. You move on to your next dream.
"Cossus Ligniperda" 1989 -Aarthus museum, Demnarl
Untitiled - 2011 - Galerie Michael Werner

Schwitters? Pleasant but in my eyes, hardly «forbidden paintings».



I’m off to London tomorrow to see a couple of exhibitions...hope there will be lots to tell next week.

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