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Jørgen Mogensen - Inspired by Salto
On an early winter morning with the snow falling down, imitating a warm and cosy blanket, Jan and I were on our way to visit Jørgen Mogensen.
This tall and ruggedly handsome 81 year old gentleman, had invited the two of us from the gallery home for a chat. Not any chit-chat, but a serious and friendly talk about his long life as a ceramicist. First at Royal Copenhagen, and later on as an independent artist with his own ceramic studio, not far from his present home.
(Actually he shared the studio with his wife - Ursula Printz Mogensen - who also worked as a ceramicist).
Upon entering his comfortable home overlooking a beautiful parkland, we were seated in his living room. His coffeetable was set with the famous Blue Fluted service from Royal Copenhagen, which dates from the 1770s and was one of the first patterns to be used when the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory was founded in 1775.
We were impressed by his tidy and exquisitely furnished home. His prevailing taste was Danish Midcentury Modern i.e. Finn Juhl et consortes.
Very fashionable and stylish indeed.
We were also immediately fascinated with all the beautiful ceramics elegantly displayed all over his home. These gorgeous pieces were both from his time at Royal Copenhagen and of course from his own studio.
(We took a picture of him sitting next to a stunning sculpture. Have a look and decide for yourself).
His walls were adorned with his own paintings and drawings, which he made after he retired as a ceramicist in 1991.
But let's rewind the time.
Jørgen Mogensen finished The School of Arts and Craft in 1948. Shortly thereafter he became an apprentice at Royal Copenhagen, where his main task was to assist Knud Kyhn and Axel Salto by laying a thin layer of paint under the glaze on their work. He also helped out Gerd Bøgelund by moulding her pieces. He was in fact hired to do all the menial work as a helper to the more established artists.
By being very polite and helpful he soon became indispensable in the so called "Stoneware Cellar", where Salto was sitting in one corner, Knud Kyhn in another and where Gerd Bøgelund occupied a third corner. Occasionally Nils Thorsson came down to them and held inspirational pep-talks about glazes and forms and other relevant topics.
After some time he was allowed to produce his own ideas. He told us that he was extremely influenced by Axel salto whom he admired, and he tried hard not to imitate his style.
At this point Jan and I were exchanging quick glances, because there are no actual similarities in their works, but there's absolutely a detectable resemblance.
Especially with the works from his own studio.
Jørgen Mogensen often came with new ideas to the management, but did not felt highly regarded, and decided to start as an independent ceramicist. He took the final decision to leave Royal Copenhagen in 1964 and opened his own ceramic studio in 1965.
We asked him why he almost always depicted stylized animals when working at Royal Copenhagen?
As we understand it, we told him, that was his predominant imagery.
The answer was simple he said: ..."in 1952 I visited a Mexican exhibition in Sweden and became fascinated by what I saw. I interpreted the ancient pictures and symbols my way, and eventually created my own imagery based on that interpretation".
After establishing his own studio, Jørgen Mogensen had to work harder than ever before. Now he wasn't just an artist anymore, he was also the bookkeeper, the cleaner, sales manager, etc etc. Running a studio, required all his efforts.
And more.
From this time on, he stopped using the stylized figures as his preferred imagery. We forgot to ask him why, but to us it's obvious that it was his ever present admiration of Salto, that made his own outcome so resemblent of Salto's.
And because Jørgen Mogensen, just like Salto, was influenced by natures diversity, it was almost inevitable to happen.
In fact we think he wanted it to happen.
Finally in 1991 he decided to retire as a ceramicist at the age of 63.
He seems content and proud of what he has achieved during his long service.
End of story?
No, he moved on to pastures new.
In 1992 he started painting fulltime. A lifelong passion made possible.
Actually his earliest paintings are dated 1949, the same year he joined Royal Copenhagen at the age of 21.
He decided to stop painting in 2003 to enjoy life to its full extent, without having any obligations. Except to himself.
After many hours of Danish "hygge" we said farewell to Jørgen.
Well, it was actually not a farewell, but - "på gensyn".
Jan & Otto
February 2009
