A bibliography of Asger Jorn's writings to 1963
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| Bibliografi over Asger Jorns skrifter til 1963 / A bibliography of Asger Jorn's writings to 1963 | |
| Authors | Guy Atkins & Erik Schmidt |
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| Publisher | Permild & Rosengreen |
| Publishing date | 1964 |
| Edition | Private printing |
| Format | Softcover |
A bibliography of Asger Jorn’s writings to 1963 (Bibliografi over Asger Jorns skrifter til 1963) is a comprehensive bibliography documenting the Danish painter and writer Asger Jorn’s published writings from 1932 to 1963, compiled by Guy Atkins and Erik Schmidt. Published privately by Permild & Rosengreen in Copenhagen in 1964, this bilingual Danish-English reference work was produced as a fiftieth birthday gift for Jorn and documents 193 entries spanning his writings from his earliest youth through to the end of 1963.
Background
The bibliography was compiled by Guy Atkins, the British art historian who would later produce the monumental five-volume catalogue raisonné of Jorn’s oil paintings, and Erik Schmidt, librarian at Silkeborg Library. The project represented one of several scholarly tributes marking Jorn’s fiftieth birthday on March 3, 1964. As Atkins noted in the second volume of the catalogue raisonné, “The artist’s 50th birthday was marked by the publication of a first book on him in English, a bibliography of his writings, and an illustrated study of Jorn’s Aarhus Mural.”
The firm of Permild & Rosengreen, legendary Copenhagen printers known for their work with avant-garde artists, produced the volume. The same firm had previously printed Jorn and Guy Debord’s groundbreaking Situationist publications Fin de Copenhague (1957) and Mémoires (1959), along with numerous other experimental works by CoBrA artists. Their decision to produce the bibliography as a birthday gift demonstrated the close relationship between Jorn and the firm’s principals, V. O. Permild and Bjørn Rosengreen.
Scope and Organization
The bibliography chronicles Jorn’s extraordinarily diverse output as a writer, beginning with small articles about scout life published in the magazine Luren between May and November 1932, when Jorn was just eighteen years old. The compilers systematically searched periodical files and exhibition catalogues from the period 1930 to 1963, though they acknowledged in their introduction that “there must be some omissions and errors” and welcomed corrections.
We have, as far as our library resources allowed, searched all the relevant periodical files and exhibition catalogues for the period 1930-1963. But it is regrettably clear to us that there must be some omissions and errors, and we would welcome corrections and guidance to new material. We did not make a systematic search of newspaper files, but we included all the important newspaper articles which happened to come to our notice.
- Guy Atkins and Erik Schmidt, Introduction
The bibliography includes not only Jorn’s books and articles but also carefully selected interviews deemed to have “permanent value as statements,” which are listed separately at the end. Book illustrations were generally excluded unless the collaboration between author and illustrator was particularly close. In a notable exception, the compilers included major works such as Occupations (1960) and Schweizer Suite (1961), which consisted of graphic works without text, apologizing for the inconsistency while noting that “in the bibliography of an artist a few pictures are never altogether out of place.”
Personal Context
The introduction includes an unusual astrological detail: Jorn was born at approximately 10 a.m. on March 3, 1914, with the constellation Gemini rising above the eastern horizon. The compilers quote directly from the horoscope reproduced in the book, describing this as “a strong map, indicating remarkable potentialities, which Asger Jorn was soon to fulfil.” This detail reflects Jorn’s own interest in unconventional systems of knowledge and his willingness to incorporate diverse perspectives into scholarly work.
An important note addresses Jorn’s change of name from Asger Oluf Jørgensen to Asger Jorn, which occurred on August 25, 1945. Earlier publications are therefore signed with his birth name. The bibliography also identifies the major research libraries holding the largest collections of material by and about Jorn: Silkeborg Museum Library, Silkeborg Municipal Library, the library of the State Museum of Art in Copenhagen, and the Royal Library in Copenhagen.
Notable Entries
The bibliography reveals the breadth of Jorn’s intellectual interests. Entry 4 documents Julens salmer (Christmas Carols), sixteen woodcuts published under the pseudonym “Asger Isen” in the Marxist monthly Frem in December 1933, with the cover title “Blasphemous Christmas Carols.” Entry 5 describes Hammeren (The Hammer), a monthly newspaper Jorn reportedly wrote, illustrated, printed, and distributed during the Silkeborg textile strike from August 15 to October 9, 1934, produced on a small duplicating machine in a kitchen and sold for 5 øre per copy.
Major theoretical works are documented alongside ephemeral publications. Entry 192 describes the second edition of Held & Hasard. Dolk & Guitar (Fortune and Chance. Dagger and Guitar), published in August 1963 with significant new sections added to the 1952 first edition. The final entry, number 193, is an article “Om falsknerier” (On Forgeries) published in Information on December 31, 1963, demonstrating Jorn’s engagement with questions of authenticity that would later become central to his modifications and détournements.
Selected Interviews
A separate section at the end lists ten significant interviews from 1938 to 1963. These include Ejler Bille’s 1938 conversation with Jorn and Pierre Wemaëre about their studies under Fernand Léger, Otto Gelsted’s 1948 interview titled “The atom bomb, also a work of art,” and several provocative statements from the late 1950s and early 1960s, including “I am opposed to art subsidies” (1963) and “I’m completely through with Danish art life” (1960).
Illustrations
The bibliography is illustrated with Jorn’s drawings and ink works from various periods. The front cover features an ink and watercolor piece from 1950, while the title page includes a small vignette. Interior reproductions range from a 1946 ink drawing to works from Djerba (1948), Switzerland (1953), and Italy (1955), all drawn from the collections of Silkeborg Museum, V. O. Permild, and Bjørn Rosengreen. The back cover displays a self-portrait in pencil from 1947.
Significance
This bibliography represents the first systematic attempt to catalog Jorn’s writings and serves as an essential reference work for understanding his dual practice as both visual artist and prolific author. Guy Atkins would later note in the catalogue raisonné that Jorn’s “activity as a writer has been so intense that, on the eve of his fiftieth birthday, there is more than enough material to justify a trial list of his published works.”
The publication appeared at a crucial moment in Jorn scholarship. Atkins had already begun his research for the painting catalogue raisonné following their famous conversation at the Coupole in Paris in 1961, and the bibliography established important documentary groundwork for future research. The parallel Danish and English text made Jorn’s publishing history accessible to international scholars for the first time, contributing significantly to his growing reputation beyond Scandinavia.
The work also demonstrates the collaborative nature of Jorn scholarship during this period, with Atkins providing international art historical expertise while Schmidt contributed local knowledge as librarian at Silkeborg, where Jorn had grown up and maintained strong connections throughout his life. Their partnership ensured both scholarly rigor and practical access to rare materials.
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