Den røde jord

Asger Jorn’s large, brightly colored lithograph draws on Scandinavian mythology in particular referencing Jord, a figural representation of the earth. Jorn was often inspired by Nordic folklore and tradition. The work of the twentieth-century Danish author Johannes V. Jensen was his source for mythology in his artwork. Even though he chose to expatriate in 1953 his native land played an important role in his work. Den røde jord suggests a barren, archaic landscape, referring to the ancient earth. Figures emerge from the frenzied line in this print. On traditional folk imagery Jorn commented: “It is the art that manifests humanity’s and life’s feasting, the popular art that we (….) consider the most valuable, as it has been the common property of most people for the longest period of time.”