Untitled

The paintings on the back and front of this work were both painted during World War II, when Jorn returned to Denmark after living in Paris. It was during this period that he developed a new style of painting, where strange creatures and abstract forms weave in and out amongst each other in a non-hierarchical, teeming structure. On the back, which was painted first, the entire surface is covered with sharp triangular forms painted with thin layers of paint, primarily in green colours with accents of blue and orange-red. The painting on the front, on the other hand, is structured around one large and several smaller imaginary creatures inspired, for example, by the children’s drawings and folk art that interested Jorn during this period. We do not know why the artist decided to paint a new picture on the back. Maybe he was not satisfied with the first painting, or maybe he was short of canvasses?