In the summer of 2016, I took a road trip in my VW camper through the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and up the West coast of Sweden – a lovely weather window and a great trip. One of the visits I enjoyed immensely was to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.
Given the name ‘Louisiana’, you’d expect it to be in Southern USA, but it’s not – it is a 40-minute drive out of the fine city of Copenhagen.
The museum was a purpose-built gallery space and opened in 1958 to showcase modern Danish artists, but the concept proved so popular that it quickly began showing work by artists from all around the world.
These are some of the highlights…
There are several large pieces by the artist Yves Klein, famous in the 60s for various ‘live performance’ stunts, including having nude models daubed in paint roll around on a canvas on the floor.
It is claimed that this is THE original ‘Yves Klein blue’, which the artist managed to make a huge fuss and rumpus about, claiming and patenting this particular colour. I think Mr Klein was probably a pretentious so and so! A good self-publicist, though!
In addition to original work by Jackson Pollock, there is also a wide variety of work by less well-known artists using many different materials and techniques. I enjoy trying to work out how things may have been put together…
A sculpture by Giacometti…
This painting interested me as it is a colourful abstracted interpretation of ‘The Scream’ by Edward Munch.
Do you think Damian Hirst first did the ‘Dots’? Think again. He knicked the idea – I think this piece was done in 1937? Or thereabouts?
