Guide

Structure of the notes

The individual notes are structured around the following themes:

Brief description of the sculpture
Title of the sculpture (where relevant)
Physical space of the sculpture
Social space of the sculpture
Floor plan of the sculpture (not applicable to bronze sculptures)
The body or physical form of the sculpture
Light and shadow (not for all bronze sculptures)
Thoughts and reflections

In addition, some building and brick sculptures have a special theme about music.

The starting point for my notes and interpretations is that a work that is not displayed in a museum must function in relation to a specific social and physical space. The form, expression and content of the work must create connections for the specific people who visit the place where the sculpture is located. This does not mean that there is only one correct understanding. The notes express my personal experience, and I have no answer key.

The structure of the notes corresponds to the process I use in my “appropriation” of sculptures. I start “from the outside” with the sculpture’s title, physical and social context, and continue with its concrete form and expression, ending with “what the sculpture does to me”. However, in the notes, I supplement the descriptions with immediate associations.

It should be noted that my observations are usually based on a single encounter with the sculptures. This imposes certain limitations, especially in relation to the experience of light and shadow effects.

Especially in relation to brick and building sculptures.

I use the terms brick sculpture and building sculpture interchangeably to refer to the same sculptures. It is debatable whether the latter term should be reserved for sculptures with more or less enclosed spaces. One could argue that the latter term should be reserved for sculptures with more or less enclosed spaces. I will leave that to the art historians.

In my notes, I do not write anything about “bricks”. They contribute to interpretations in themselves. Bricks are man-made and thus signal that one is in the world of human beings. Bricks have many associations in themselves: building up, ‘stone upon stone’, something solid, something lasting or what remains when a building decays. Bricks as a basic element also mean that a building sculpture is subject to some concrete and practical limitations if it is not to collapse!

The fixed, given form limits the possibilities for how organic the sculpture’s expression can be, but in return opens up for sculptures of larger dimensions than many other materials. The choice of bricks and mortar, bond and colours can also be used as a signal and symbolism in itself. A bond, for example, is a meander in itself, and the colour of the bricks can contrast or harmonise with the surrounding urban space, etc.

Copyright

I have obtained permission from the Per Kirkeby Estate to reproduce Per Kirkeby’s works.
All photos and reproductions of Kirkeby’s works: ©Per Kirkeby Estate.

For the building sculptures and certain bronze sculptures, a map section of the sculpture’s “space” has been inserted. The map is an open source product from © OpenStreetMap, which, together with contributors, holds the copyright to the base map. More information about the map material can be found online.

Access

Practical information about access to the sculptures can be found at the end of each individual post. Some sculptures are located in private gardens and homes. Contact details can be provided.

Literature

For reading about Kirkeby’s sculptures and architecture, please see the guide in danish,