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In the midt thirties a small group of artists was formed in Denmark. The
group was made up by artists who had already been occupied with traditional
and newer styles of art like naturalism, kubism and surrealism without
finding the style they were looking for. Art they argued was not free
but caught in a web of isms, logical thinking and intellectual reflections.
They at the other hand wanted the art to be intense and alive, and in
1937 Egill Jacobsen painted the expressive Ophobning the first spontanious
abstract painting, and the style of art they were all looking for.
At any modern art exhibition today Ophobning would probably be just one
in many attemps describing a situation in a abstract and spontanious style,
but back the in 1937 this painting with an almost desperate feel of chaotic
colors and lines was an head-on attack against any established aestehtichs...a
beginning of something new.
In the years that followed this new style of expression and way of painting
was practised still more intense by the small group that among others
counted Ejler Bille, Richard Mortensen, Asger Jorn, Henry Heerup and Carl-Henning
Pedersen. The inspiration first came from painters like Picasso, Miro
and especially Paul Klee, and later from childrens drawings and folkart
from around the world, african folkart being the greatest source.
To better communicate thoughts about the new spontanic way of expression
and its sources of inspiration, Asger Jorn the most active member of the
small group took initiatives to publish the small periodical Helhesten
in 1941. The periodical featured any topics occupying the artists and
became a sort of speaking-tube to the small group until 1944 when publishing
was stopped due to financial problems.
After the isolation caused by the war Asger Jorn in particular travelled
around Europe taking contacts whenever possible to other artists with
ideas about art similar to those of the danish group and thus was connected
to several other artists when he participated in 1948 at 'La conference
du centre international de documentation sur l'art d'avantgarde' in Paris.
With him was Karel Appel, Constant and Corneille from Holland and Noiret
and Dotremont from Belgium.
They all carried the hope that the conference could be the beginning of
a international movement for spontanious abstract art, but the conference
ended witout fulfilling these hopes.
Subsequently the six friend ended up at a cafe and their discussions about
the conference resulted in a manifesto drawn up by Dotremont which they
all agreed upon.
The manifesto was the beginning of a international collaboration between
all artists that could approve the spontanic way of artistic development,
and Dotremont named the group after the main capitals involved: COpenhagen,
BRuxelles and Amsterdam - COBRA.
Before the artists connected to Cobra was scattered to the four winds,
they had three turbulent years together from 1948 until 1951. They had
the spontanic way of expression in common and the talent and skills to
express themselves in this way. Dotremont was the leading figure and co-ordinator
navigating COBRA through the high waves that came, and he found the money
to publish the periodical Cobra
as long as he could. The collaboration between the artists meant fellowship,
co-exhibitions, travellings, reciprocal inspiration and collective decorations.
Two exhibitions mark the beginning and end of Cobra. The first large Cobra
exhibition held at the Stedeljik Museum in Amsterdam in 1949 was a rebellion
in all directions. The cover of the catalogue was a photography of a mouth
that put out its tongue, the untamed works of art was placed without harmony,
large and small in between eachother, some of them placed high, some very
low and some on the floor. In a black room the writers of Cobra recite
their poems in a landscape of torned main works in dutch litterature nailed
to the walls, and from the speakers around in the museum are the sounds
jungle drums.
On the third day of the exhibition just around midway of Dotremonts half
political pro soviet opening speach several listerners felt provoked by
the arrangement and started shouting. Soon several painters felt irritated
and began throwing out those listerners that were not satisfied. Others
among the attendance started reacting and very soon many fought each other
and several were injured. As this the third day ended, and the episode
had two consequences: Several poets and a few painters resigned membership.
At the other hand the scandal became so much exposed in the papers that
the exhibition itself became a major attraction and succes.
The second large Cobra exhibition was held at the Palais dex beaux-Art
in Liege in 1951. During Cobra time this was the last exhibition. Soon
after the exhibition at Palais dex beaux-Art Cobra as a group ended due
to sickness (both Jorn and Dotremont were send to hospital caused by TB),
internal disagreements (especially between Jorn and Dotremont) and lack
of financial funds.
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