Af Henrik Broch-Lips,
kunsthistoriker og kunstanmelder
Det er hovedsageligt symboler og figurationer hentet fra den amerikanske undergrundskultur, som Frederik Kløve Jacobsen bruger i sine pop-art inspirerede billeder. Derved skiller de sig umiddelbart ud fra den øvrige, danske samtidskunst. I Kløves versioner af kunsten i det 21. århundrede, trasker Tom Waits forhutlede Frank-figur ud af døren, den alkoholiserede kult-forfatter Charles Bukowski hænger stadig i baren – eller Friheds--gudinden er på vej ned med det amerikanske flag.
Kløve Jacobsens ekspressive maleglæde og respektløse, selvsikre, kulturelle ‘hacking’, giver mindelser om 80’ernes amerikanske billed- og kokainjunkie Jean-Michel Basquiats fabulerende malerier. Den sorte kunstnerhero sprængte rammerne for billedkunsten og malede graffiti-inspirerede billeder, som popkunstens konge Andy Warhol øjeblikkeligt blev fascineret af.
Knapt så radikalt som Basquiat, serverer Frederik Kløve Jacobsen ligeledes heftige hacker-malerier. De indeholder eksplosive udladninger og er ofte befolket med billeder af blændede fluer, kæmpemæssige æggefigurer, tegneseriefigurer og sorte musikere. I sin bestræbelse på at skabe nye og unikke samplinger, stjæler den danske kunstner med arme og ben fra den kommercielle og populære kulturs uendelige mængde af ikoner.
Bevæbnet med billige spraydåser, brede pensler, fortrykte gummilaminat-figurer, malertape, røde jernkøller og fed, dyr akrylmaling, går Frederik Kløve Jacobsen aggressivt løs på de store lærreder, der er spændt op på ekstra kraftige blindrammer. Ofte med Soundgarden, Nirvana, White Stripes, Miles Davis eller Sex Pistols som inspirerende baggrundsstøj i atelieret.
Med inspiration fra Jackson Pollocks drippainting-teknik lægger han hyppigt maleriet ned midt i processen og slasker malingen intuitivt på lærredet. Når billedet efterfølgende rejses op, løber den vandige maling ned over fladen og giver billedet en lodret retning. Derefter rettes motivet til med streger og ord som "INC", "OXE", "EXIT" eller hele sætninger, som for eksempel "Jack is resting by the tracks of a past innocence", der refererer til barnets uskyldige barndom.
Billedcitaterne i de ekspressive malerier er ofte referentielle objekter som Betty Boop og taiwanske legetøjsbiler. Eller også er tegnene graffiti-tacs med et politisk indhold, som kongekronen og saxofonspilleren, der formodentlig er lånt fra Basquiats iscenesatte 80’er oprør. Og netop fordi de lånte tegn har en særlig betydning, adskiller Frederik Kløve Jacobsens sampling sig fra den udtømmende og dybdeløse, postmoderne tilegnelsesmetode. I hvert fald som den kommer til udtryk i den amerikanske pop – og konceptkunst, hvor den rent formelle citering er dominerende.
Malerierne kan ikke kun assimileres til den kendte, postmodernistiske, kunstdiskurs om individets død og forbrugskulturens nivellerende kvalitet. Dertil er de personlige malerier en for tydelig kritik af den kontrollerende kunstinstitution. Den danske kunstner sætter nemlig gentagne gange et standardiseret, kommercielt piktogram af en snobbet dommer ind i sine malerier. En bedrevidende censor, der sender sit fordømmende blik ud mod kunstneren og os.
By Henrik Broch-Lips,
art historian and art critic
It is mainly symbols and figurations derived from the American underground culture, which Frederik Kløve Jacobsen uses in his pop-art inspired paintings. Thereby they seem different from the remaining, Danish contemporary art. In Kløve’s versions of art in the 21st century, Tom Waits’ shabby Frank-figure trudges out the door, the alcoholic cult writer Charles Bukowski is still hanging about in the bar – or the Statue of Liberty is going down with the American flag.
Kløve Jacobsen’s expressive joy of painting and disrespectful, confident, cultural "hacking" remind you of the American picture- and cocaine junkie Jean-Michel Basquiat’s imaginative paintings from the 80s. The black artist hero exceeded the limits laid down by visual art and made graffiti-inspired paintings, which immediately fascinated Andy Warhol, the king of pop-art.
Less radically than Basquiat, Frederik Kløve Jacobsen also presents intense hacker-paintings. They contain explosive outlets and are often populated by images of blinded flies, giant egg-shaped figures, cartoon figures and black musicians. In his effort to create new and unique samplings, the Danish artist steals left, right, and centre from the commercial and popular culture’s infinite amount of icons.
Armed with cheap spray cans, broad brushes, ready printed figures of rubber laminate, adhesive tape, red iron clubs, and fat, expensive acrylic paint, Frederik Kløve Jacobsen aggressively attacks the large canvasses that are fixed to extra strong stretchers. Often with Soundgarden, Nirvana, White Stripes, Miles David and Sex Pistols as inspiring background noise in the studio.
With inspiration from Jackson Pollock’s drip painting technique, he frequently lays down the painting in the middle of the process and intuitively throws paint on the canvas. When the painting is subsequently raised, the aqueous paint runs down the surface and provides the painting with a vertical direction. Then, the motif is adjusted by adding lines and words such as "INC", "OXE", "EXIT", or entire sentences as for instance "Jack is resting by the tracks of a past innocence", which refers to the child’s innocent childhood.
The pictorial quotations in the expressive paintings are often referential objects such as Betty Boop and Taiwanese toy cars. Or else the signs are graffiti tags with a political content, such as the crown and the saxophonist, which are probably borrowed from Basquiat’s staged rebellion of the 80s. And exactly because the borrowed signs have a special meaning, Frederik Kløve Jacobsen’s sampling differs from the exhaustive and depthless, post-modern method of acquisition. At least in the way that it finds expression in the American pop- and conceptual art, where the purely formal quotation is dominating.
The paintings cannot just be assimilated to the well-known discourse of post-modern art, concerned with the death of the individual and the levelling quality of consumer culture. The criticism of the controlling art institution presented in the personal paintings is too obvious for that. Especially since the Danish artist repeatedly inserts a standardized, commercial pictogram of a snobbish judge in his paintings. A know-all censor who turns his judgemental look on the artist and on us.
Chosen Artist of the Year 2007
by Aarhus Stiftstidende (Newspaper).
With this award Frederik made two lithographics in connection with artist and stoneprinter Niels H. Peitersen.
Comwell Kellerspark, Brejning, Denmark
(5 Star Spa & Wellness Hotel)
Gabriel textile factory, Aalborg, Denmark
AKF Koncern, Copenhagen, Denmark
The Dermatologisks, Aarhus, Denmark
VUC Vestegnen, Denmark
Agora Gallery, New York
Gallery DOCK 56, Hamburg, Germany
Gallery bn24, Hamburg, Germany
Skagen Odde Naturcenter, Denmark
Gallery Salling, Denmark
Teacher at Silkeborg College, Denmark
e-magasine,
See or download the portfolio of FKJ
New York is my gazstation,
See or download the e-book from the trip
FKJ goes Deep South,
See or download the e-book from the trip
