Untitled C by Asger Jorn

Untitled C

1959

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Artwork details

Medium
print, etching
Copyright
Asger Jorn,Fair Use

Tags

#portrait#abstract-expressionism#abstract expressionism#cobra#print#etching#figuration#form#oil painting#line

About this artwork

Asger Jorn made this untitled print in 1959, and it’s a wild dance of line and color, like a jazz solo on copper. The first thing that grabs you is that splattery, mottled texture. It’s like Jorn attacked the plate with acid, creating this gnarly surface. Look at the figure, a face almost, rendered in frantic scratches of red. It's raw, emotional – a primal scream etched in ink. The dark blue that swirls around the form feels almost like another presence, a shadow self perhaps, or a bad thought. The way Jorn lets the process show, the imperfections and accidents, feels so honest. It's a bit like his contemporary Karel Appel, both artists really knew how to make that kind of energetic painting that makes you feel like you are right there in the moment with them. This isn't about perfection; it’s about the messy, beautiful struggle of making something real.

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