Per Kirkeby Paintings and Sculpture Dorothy M. Kosinski, Klaus Ottmann

Per Kirkeby (b. 1938) is Scandinavia's most highly acclaimed artist since August Strindberg and Asger Jorn. His early training as a geologist is evident in his richly layered canvases, which are structured like geological strata, constantly in flux, expressing movement and change. This is true as well for his sculptures, of which his best known works are monumental brickwork structures inspired by both traditional Danish houses and Mayan ruins. "Per Kirkeby: Paintings and Sculpture" is an essential introduction to the work of this important contemporary artist. Klaus Ottmann provides an overview of Kirkeby's career, from his early association with Minimalism and the Fluxus movement in the 1960s to his recent work, which marries the poetic and metaphysical to the scientific investigation of object matter. This handsome book also features an interview by Dorothy Kosinski with the artist that highlights his unique approach.

Dorothy Kosinski is director of The Phillips Collection. Klaus Ottmann is director of the Center for the Study of Modern Art and curator at large at The Phillips Collection.

"Wild energy is unshackled in Per Kirkeby's paintings: earthquakes, infernos, uprooted trees. . . . his paintings suggest a geological layering of time, of ancient unseen forces at work. . . . and his sculptures look yanked from the earth's core."--Dana Jennings, "New York Times"
--Dana Jennings "The New York TImes "