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100 års dansk keramik

The book rests on a base of knowledge and insight that goes beyond classic curatorial understanding,’ writes Carsten Bagge Laustsen, collector and associate professor of sociology at the Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, in his introduction to the book 100 års dansk keramik (100 Years of Danish Ceramics; Danish text only). 

January 2025

100 års dansk keramik, published by Turbine Forlag.Deliberately subjective and more interested in classic utilitarian ceramics than in ceramic art.

 

The pictures below. are from my piece about the exhibition at Sophienholm: Dedicating one’s life to industrial art, to craft or to art is indisputably admirable and important to society. Being a collector is also both admirable and important. Without impassioned collectors, there would be no collections, and collections are rewarding and, in the best cases, enlightening.

Gitte Jungersen, Christian Buur Bangsgaard, Marlene Müllertz, Bene Skjøttgaard, Martin Bodilsen Kaaldahl and right Turi Heisseldal Pedersen

Carsten Bagge Laustsen’s personal interest dates back to his childhood. In his own telling, the public role derived from his interest in utilitarian ceramics and his collection of ceramics came about by chance. More specifically, it was brought about by the invitation he received, in 2019, to present his collection at Maison du Danemark (House of Denmark) in Paris when the scheduled exhibitor cancelled. He accepted the invitation but on the condition that he could supplement his own collection with loans from friends and practising ceramic makers and artists. The result was a large exhibition that attracted many visitors. The following year, the exhibition was shown at Sophienholm in Lyngby (the photos here are from this presentation) and, subsequently, at Det Ny Kastet in Thisted, before a final showing, in 2020, at the Skovgaard Museum in Viborg.

This book builds on the exhibition catalogue and the exhibitions and on all the learnings that come from exploring an area in depth and establishing a collection. Carsten Bagge Laustsen writes that an important motivation for writing the book is to help new collectors get started. Thus, he has dedicated a lengthy chapter to a discussion of what it means to be a collector. In this chapter, he observes, ‘The collector is gripped by the search for the next object, driven by intense desire. 12 dinner plates, 12 lunch plates and 12 soup bowls is no collection; it is only when you also have to own the candlesticks, the vases, the serving dishes and the confectionery bowls from the same set that you have become a collector. Each object in the collection has a dual value: a value in its own right and a value by virtue of its relationship to the collection.

New book from Carsten Bagge Laustsen, collector and associate professor of sociology at the Department of Political Science, Aarhus University
Palshus, Nils Kähler, Erik Hjorth, Saxbo, Jacob E. Bang and Hugo Liisberg

In one of the opening chapters, Carsten Bagge Laustsen discusses whether it is possible to speak of a Danish ceramic tradition. He concludes that it makes more sense to speak of family likeness: ‘Just as a family is identifiable through certain distinctive traits that are shared across the family, even if all the members do not possess them, and the members feel, to some extent, as part of a unit: you know who are related to, and you follow the other members’ exploits with interest. Naturally, however, families do not agree on everything. The younger generation positions itself in relation to the older generation, and sometimes the apple does fall far from the tree.

Before a detailed review of a century’s worth of Danish ceramics in the form of 92 different ceramic makers and artists, the book provides a technical introduction to the nature of ceramics. Like the rest of the book, this section comes with references to the literature and offers a thorough and well-written overview.

The large and weighty tome is an easy read, even though it speaks more to the intellect than to the senses. It is highly recommended to anyone who is interested in the ceramic family that we, as Danes, are related to. 

”Bogen er funderet på en faglighed, som er bredere end den klassisk kunstfaglige”, skriver samler og Lektor i politisk sociologi på Institut for Statskundskab på Århus Universitet Carsten Bagge Laustsen i sin indledning til bogen 100 ÅRS DANSK KERAMIK (dansk tekst) udgivet på Turbine Forlag. – ”Bevidst subjektiv, og mere optaget af klassisk brugskeramik end af kunstkeramik”.

Hans personlige interesse kan spores tilbage til barndommen. At han fik en offentlig rolle at spille med sin interesse for brugskeramik og sin keramiksamling, tilskriver han tilfældighederne. Mere præcist at han i 2019, på et afbud, blev spurgt om han ville udstille sin samling i Det Danske Hus i Paris. Det ville han, men kun under forudsætning af at han måtte supplere sin egen samling gennem at låne keramik fra venner og bekendte og udøvende keramikere. Det blev til en stor og meget velbesøgt udstilling, som året efter blev vist på Sophienholm i Lyngby (billederne her er fra den udstilling), derefter på Det Ny Kastet i Thisted og afslutningsvis i 2020 på Skovgaard Museet i Viborg.

Inger Rokkjær

Bogen ligger i forlængelse af udstillingskataloget og af udstillingerne, og af alt det man lærer, når man fordyber sig og etablerer en samling. Carsten Bagge Laustsen udtrykker da også, at hans formål med bogen ikke mindst er, at hjælpe nye samlere i gang. Således har han dedikeret et langt kapitel, til at beskrive hvad det vil sige at samle, her skriver han blandt andet: ”Samleren er grebet af jagten på det næste objekt, af et intenst begær. 12 middagstallerkner, 12 frokosttallerkner og 12 dybe tallerkner er ingen samling, først når man også skal have lysestagerne, blomstervaserne og stegefadene og skålen til konfekt fra samme stel, samler man. Hvert objekt i en samling har en dobbelt værdi; en egenværdi og en værdi i forholdet til samlingen”.

Ligeledes, i et af de indledende kapitler, diskuterer Carsten Bagge Laustsen, hvorvidt man kan tale om en dansk keramisk tradition? Han konkluderer, at det giver mere mening at tale om famlielighed. ”På samme måde som en familie kan identificeres gennem en række særkender, som alle medlemmer måske ikke har, men som deles på kryds og tværs, og man føler sig i større eller mindre grad som en del af det samme: Man ved hvem man er i familie med, og følger de andre medlemmers gøren og laden med interesse. Men i familier er der naturligvis også delte meninger om tingene. Den yngre generation positionerer sig i forholdet til den ældre og æblet falder nogle gange langt fra stammen”.

Inger Rokkjær

Inden man når til den omhyggelige gennemgang af 100 års dansk keramik i skikkelse af 92 forskellige keramikere toppes med et afsnit om, hvad keramik er i teknisk forstand, dette afsnit har lige som de andre litteraturhenvisninger og er grundigt og gennemarbejdet.

En stor og tung bog, let at læse, til trods for at den er mere intellektuel end sanselig. Absolut anbefalelsesværdig hvis man vil vide besked om den keramiske familie, vi som danskere er en del af.

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