KOLORISTERNE

ENGLISH SUMMARY The first years The 1930s was a fertile decade for the founding of new artists’ associations. Koloristerne started in 1932, the same year as Corner, on the initiative of the painter Gitz-Johansen and the Swedish born artist Emil Westman. The other members were the Barber-painter John Christensen (chairman of the group until 1940), Hjalmar Kragh-Pedersen, Peder Larsen, Knud Nellemose, Svend Thomsen, Hans Olsen and Povl Søndergaard, and the Swedes Ivan Nilsson, Figge Holmgren, Karl Enock Ohlsson, and Martin Edmond. The original idea was that the group should exhibit alternately in Denmark and Sweden, but after the death of Emil Westman the association became a purely Danish enterprise. The name Koloristerne referred more to the artists’ work with colours than to a decidedly colouristic policy.
“… we’re some comrades who would like to join forces. By the way we’re not at all alike, amongst ourselves we’re as different as fire and water, and each one among us should be considered a sensation in himself. There’s not definite line in this exhibition, and we have been subjected to no other censorship than the one we have been subjected our own products to.” Gitz-Johansen wrote in 1932 (B.T. Dec., 1932).
The exhibited works all had a naturalistic view of the motifs and a tendency to focus on social-realistic subjects. Not until the end of the 1930s did a real joy in colour become pronounced with Koloristerne, with among others Henry Heerup as a guest, who, however, quickly changed to Corner & Høst-udstillingen, Preben Knuth, Poul Sørensen, and Svend Thomsen.
The 40s and 50s The 1940s were marked by the admission of a number of new members, among them Aage Fredslund Andersen, Boye Givskov, Kai Mottlau, who for 36 years was Koloristernes’chairman., Børge Bokkenheuser, Harald Leth, Carl Lobedanz, and others. From the previously dissolved association Bølleblomsten came, in the beginning of the 1950s, William Fridericia, Steffen Petersen, and Ingrid Hansen, they were all earlier students from P.Rostrup Bøyesen’s Malerskole, and in the case of the two later typical colourists. William Fridericia succeeded Kai Mottlau in 1980 and remained chairman until 1989.
Abstract Art Abstract entered cautiously, first with Helge Ernst in 1955, followed by Helle Thorborg and Hugo Arne Buch. During the 60s it found a quite natural place among more traditional descriptions of nature, compositions with figures and still lifes, and the artists who find their inspiration in a more fabulating world., as for example Reidar Magnus (member from 1964 to 1968), Erling Jørgensen (from 1968 to 1973), William Fridericia, Herman Stilling (who became a member in 1964).		William Fridericia
The end of the 50s was a bad period for the group, who felt dissatisfied with Charlottenborg’s poor exhibition facilities, where there were three groups to share the building. After many discussions and a two-years pause Koloristerne opened again, in 1961, at Den Frie. Here they could unfurl all the rooms, admit new members and invite guests, like Poul Winther for example, who became a member in 1964, Seppo Mattinen in 1966 (from 1975 he changed to Grønningen) and Søren Hansen in 1969.

During the 1970s and the 80s many of the present members joined, who mostly work in an expressive idiom, partly abstract, often with a starting point in the recognizable world: Tonning Rasmussen in 1971 (he stayed with the group until 1986 when he switched to Grønningen), Nanna Hertoft in 1972, Peter Hentze and Ole Heerup in 1974, Jens Peter Helge Hansen in 1976, Leif Lage in 1977, Inge Lise Westman in 1979. During the 80s the following became members - Else Fischer-Hansen in 1980, Frank Rubin und Ingvald Holmefjord in 1981, Pia Schutzmann in 1984, Poul Skov Sørensen in 1988, in the 90s, Kurt Tegtmeier, Maria Buras, Johannes Carstensen and Eli Benveniste, and in the last years Niels Reumert, Søren Ankarfeldt, Anne-Birthe Hove and Toni Larsen.

		Koloristerne’s characteristics Koloristerne maintain these three central areas: Painting, sculpture, and lithographic art. They remain faithful to the traditional values of art: a solid piece of workmanship which in no way means a lack of substance. Some are fabulating or lyric others more reflective. There is no great interest in people, with the exception of Leif Lage’s portraits, which show a wide range of human expressions in connection with an intense richness of colour. Lisbeth Nielsen is another of the few artists whose mind is always on the human theme and who concentrates on the expression of the body. In recent years Astrid Klenow has demonstrated interest in the portrait with a series of busts in clay, portraits and scenes from everyday life are present with J.P. Groth-Jensen, but quite inseparable from the artist’s fascination with colour which to an even higher degree characterises his fine, lyrical description of nature.
Today, as at the beginning of the group, Koloristerne have neither manifestos nor determined artistic policies. Still they stand out from other associations, maybe because of the characteristics connected with their name, which has troubled them for many years. There is an outspoken colouristic talent among most of the members, not necessarily because they relish in strong colours. The colouristic sense may manifest itself in subdued colours, which, on account of their selection and arrangement, give the painting a special strength, a charisma. In spite of the broad spectrum of artistic idioms one can point out two main trends that give the association a unique profile: part of the artists are founded in the Danish tradition and thus carry on a heritage which already was present in the group’s infancy, while others cultivate a lyrically expressive, sometimes fabulating idiom as a statement from their souls or sense.
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