PrintArtist of the year 2008
This year’s lithograph was created by Mogens Andersen who was chosen by the
NIRAS Foundation as Artist of the Year in 2008.
Mogens Andersen, who was born in 1916, is one of the grand old men of
modern Danish painting. He is represented in numerous museums and
exhibitions, both at home and abroad, and is the name behind a wide range
of decorative displays.
Mogens Andersen’s own history is closely linked to the history of the
abstract painting in Denmark. He, more than anyone, helped to introduce the
so-called objectless painting to the public domain and, as an artist, he
promoted its cause in books, articles and – not least – paintings. The rich
texture of the colours and the graphic interplay – between light and dark,
vacancy and volume – are characteristic of Mogens Andersen’s works. The
fine interaction between construction and improvisation and the rhythmic
flow of the brushwork reflect two significant features of his artistic
universe: the need for freedom and an awareness that freedom must also have
boundaries.
