Michael Werner Gallery, New York is pleased to present an exhibition by Danish artist Per Kirkeby (b. 1938, d. 2018). One of the most influential and versatile artists of his generation, Kirkeby worked in an astounding array of media. This exhibition presents a rare opportunity to see his paintings on masonite and bronze sculptures together, each of which occupy a unique place in his oeuvre.
Kirkeby painted on masonite throughout the entire length of his career. The hard, flat surface of masonite allowed him to play with space. Kirkeby states, “You put a line on a piece of paper or you take a brush or your thumb dipped in some ochre and rub it up on a cave wall and then you have a space. We’re in a space and we make a space. And by making it flat you can handle it.” Kirkeby considered the paintings on masonite to be more personal, and even more dynamic, than his paintings on canvas. Due to the long, storied history of paintings on canvas, Kirkeby felt the compositions needed to be more “crystallized”. In comparison, his paintings on masonite incorporated unconventional materials, such as collage and chalk, allowing Kirkeby to experiment with structure, form, and motif.
Kirkeby started creating bronze sculptures in the early 1980s to pull himself out of a brief “artistic crisis”. His career was growing internationally, and Danish critiques of his art accused him of being too commercial. Like the paintings on masonite, the bronzes allowed him to play with space, but in a more tactile way. Kirkeby writes, “It is almost impossible to fixate a sculpture. It is best seen in passing, from the side. Individual details are difficult to get a hold of: they turn away from you. And even the nature of the material is so concrete, so much of this world, that it spurns dreams.” Kirkeby’s bronze sculptures became an important part of his oeuvre. They allowed him to incorporate figuration and the work of his sculptural heroes, like Michealangelo and Auguste Rodin. The sculptures defined him as an accomplished “painter-sculptor” in line with his German contemporaries, Markus Lüpertz and A.R. Penck.
An internationally celebrated painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and author, works by Kirkeby are found in many museum collections worldwide including Tate, London; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and Museum of Modern Art, New York, among many others. Important solo museum exhibitions include Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk; Museum Jorn, Silkeborg; the Beaux-Arts de Paris; The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels; Tate Modern, London; IVAM Centre del Carme, Valencia; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Whitechapel Gallery, London; and Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven. In 2023, two important exhibitions of Kirkeby’s works were held at ARKEN Museum of Modern Art in Ishøj and Museo Tamayo in Mexico City.
Per Kirkeby: Paintings on Masonite and Bronzes opens to the public on Wednesday 10 April. A catalogue will accompany the exhibition. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10AM to 6PM.
Per Kirkeby
“Kopf”, 1977
Chalk, blackboard paint on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 7
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1976
Chalk, blackboard paint on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 194
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1975
Chalk, blackboard paint on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 322/I
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1985
Chalk, blackboard paint on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 404
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1985
Chalk, blackboard paint on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 407
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1990
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 580
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1999
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 908
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1302
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1308
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1311
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1357
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1360
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1367
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2012
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1421
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2013
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1442
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1545
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1549
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1552
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1553
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1559
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1561
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2016
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1563
Per Kirkeby
“Arm und Kopf IV”, 1983
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
48 x 9 3/4 x 18 1/2 inches
122 x 25 x 47 cm
PKK 12/5
Per Kirkeby
“Laeso - Kopf II”, 1983
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
35 3/4 x 17 x 15 3/4 inches
91 x 43 x 40 cm
PKK 21/3
Per Kirkeby
“Arm”, 1983
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
34 3/4 x 6 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches
88 x 16 x 31 cm
PKK 24/2
Per Kirkeby
“New Laeso Head”, 1984
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
45 1/4 x 18 1/2 x 24 inches
115 x 47 x 61 cm
PKK 35/2
Per Kirkeby
“Zwei Arme IV”, 1985
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
18 1/2 x 4 3/4 x 15 inches
47 x 12 x 38 cm
PKK 51/6
Per Kirkeby
“Liegender Arm-Kopf (Lying Arm-Head)”, 1986
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
19 3/4 x 27 1/2 x 15 3/4 inches
50 x 70 x 40 cm
PKK 68/1
Per Kirkeby
“Kopf”, 1977
Chalk, blackboard paint on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 7
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1976
Chalk, blackboard paint on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 194
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1975
Chalk, blackboard paint on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 322/I
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1985
Chalk, blackboard paint on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 404
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1985
Chalk, blackboard paint on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 407
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1990
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 580
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 1999
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 908
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1302
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1308
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1311
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1357
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1360
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2011
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1367
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2012
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1421
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2013
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1442
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1545
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1549
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1552
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1553
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1559
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2015
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1561
Per Kirkeby
“Untitled”, 2016
Mixed media on masonite
48 x 48 inches
122 x 122 cm
PK 1563
Per Kirkeby
“Arm und Kopf IV”, 1983
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
48 x 9 3/4 x 18 1/2 inches
122 x 25 x 47 cm
PKK 12/5
Per Kirkeby
“Laeso - Kopf II”, 1983
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
35 3/4 x 17 x 15 3/4 inches
91 x 43 x 40 cm
PKK 21/3
Per Kirkeby
“Arm”, 1983
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
34 3/4 x 6 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches
88 x 16 x 31 cm
PKK 24/2
Per Kirkeby
“New Laeso Head”, 1984
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
45 1/4 x 18 1/2 x 24 inches
115 x 47 x 61 cm
PKK 35/2
Per Kirkeby
“Zwei Arme IV”, 1985
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
18 1/2 x 4 3/4 x 15 inches
47 x 12 x 38 cm
PKK 51/6
Per Kirkeby
“Liegender Arm-Kopf (Lying Arm-Head)”, 1986
Bronze
From an edition of 6 + 1 AP
19 3/4 x 27 1/2 x 15 3/4 inches
50 x 70 x 40 cm
PKK 68/1