Bjorn Wiinblad

Bjorn Wiinblad

Signature "Bjørn"

Bjørn Wiinblad (born September 20, 1918 in Copenhagen , Denmark , † June 8, 2006 in Lyngby ) was a Danish painter, designer, set designer and visual artist.

Youth and education

Bjørn Wiinblad was born in Copenhagen in 1918 as the son of a typographer, journalist and politician. As a teenager he illustrated his own poems, learned to play the piano with Louis Glass and the flute. First Wiinblad attended a drawing school, then from 1940 to 1943 he studied painting and illustration at the Royal Danish Art Academy in Copenhagen. During this time he came to ceramics through his friend Richard and worked for Lars Syberg . After completing his studies, Wiinblad earned money doing odd jobs in order to be able to afford material for his work as a freelance painter and designer. In addition to his studies, he completed an apprenticeship as a typographer.

Drafts and works

In 1945 Wiinblad hosted its first exhibition. Commissions for posters, book illustrations for 1001 Nights and a theater decoration for Lysistrata followed . Wiinblad worked as a designer from 1945, from 1946 to 1956 as chief designer at the Associated Nymølle Fajancefabrik , and from 1947 he was also a poster designer at the American embassy in Paris, followed by work for Marshall Plan in Paris in 1950 . His work was soon exhibited in museums.

In 1952 he opened his own workshop with 13 employees in a three-sided courtyard in Copenhagen, later he ran the “Det blå hus” (Blue House) factory in Copenhagen. His works have been represented in museums in Denmark, Stockholm, Sweden, Germany and Italy, even in the Museum of Modern Art , New York. He was appointed professor of design at Boston University. His first exhibition in New York was in 1954 with Georg Jensen. Other exhibitions followed in the United States. Until recently, he put together up to six large solo exhibitions worldwide each year.

1956 began his work for art industrial companies. From 1957 Wiinblad was chief designer at Rosenthal AG for over 49 years . When he got his friend Gianni Versace for Rosenthal, he coined the phrase “Wiinblad is the Versace of the north”.

Björn Wiinblad worked internationally as a costume and set designer from 1947 to 2006. From 1957 he designed sets, costumes and decorations for the Royal Theater in Copenhagen. His textile designs were used for costumes for several ballet and stage performances. The Nutcracker - posters, costumes and sets by Wiinblad - was performed in Copenhagen by the Royal Ballet for 17 years. They can be found in the Copenhagen Theater Museum. Artistic production manager for the stage was the director Dr. Valerie Andersen. Kim Ry Andersen brought Björn Wiinblad to the Royal Theater in Copenhagen and committed new productions to Germany that were made in Denmark. It is worth mentioning the costumes and stage decorations from 1947 for Lysistrata , 1962 for Undine , 1965 the costumes for Shakespeare's The Tempest for the Dallas Theater Center , 1969 the designs commissioned by Queen Margaret of Denmark for the ballet Swineherd in Copenhagen (for the 70th birthday of King Frederik ), where illustrations of the eponymous fairy tale the swineherd by Hans Christian Andersen followed were in a brief 1974 animated film were implemented. Also in 1971 the costumes for John Cranko's ballet The Lady and the Fool and Flemming Flinth's The Nutcracker at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen were special .

In addition, he designed numerous posters that were also presented in solo exhibitions.

His oversized ceramics and tapestries can be found as hotel decorations in Japan and the USA, e.g. B. the large Scheherazade gobelin for the Dallas World Trade Center or the establishment of the Flowerpot restaurant in 1978 in Chicago . In 2000 he furnished the Wiinblad restaurant in the Hotel D`Angleterre in Copenhagen, as well as a restaurant in the Tivoli, and in 2002 the Cafeteria Rosenthal in the Rotbühl plant, Germany.

In the last years from 1994 to 2006 he was occupied with the overall construction of the “Luna Park” in Japan with three large stages, for which he created outdoor decorations, productions, costume and stage designs.

In 1971 he opened his own permanent exhibition house, Bjørn Wiinblads Hus in Copenhagen, which was later closed. 1994–2006 he built his residence and the “Blaa Hus (Blue House)” factory in Lyngby as a museum. The "Blaa Hus (Blue House)" in Lyngby was completely modernized and redesigned after Björn Wiinblad's death, so that the actual functions of the rooms can no longer be seen in the original. The guest house, which was actually an interior showroom, is now a normal official residence. René Schultz, his former cook, lives there as the museum director.

Björn Wiinblad worked with a permanent staff. His permanent secretary was Guy Badse. His long-time ceramicist, who was already painting and burning Wiinblad's decors in Lyngby as a teenager, and who ran the workshop with numerous ceramic painters (up to 15) in Lyngby, had to leave the property around 2010. Her face was the inspiration for all female figures. There is currently no ceramist in the workshop in Lyngby who was employed by Wiinblad.

60 years as a stage and costume designer

Since 1946 he has designed decorations, costume and stage sets. Mention should be made:

• 1947 Lysistrata Aeschylos, stage production by Meir Feigenberg, Riddersalenen, Copenhagen
• 1954 Lommer revues by Stig Lommer, Kjeld Petersen and Dirch Passer, ABC Theater, Copenhagen
• 1956 Salad Days Musical by Julian Slade and Dorothy Parker, Allee Bühne, Copenhagen
• 1957 Schelmerei Fred Björn Björnsen Ballet, Tivoli Concert Hall and Theater Royal Copenhagen
• 1958 Glückauf der Reise Svend Bache Ballet, Royal Theater Copenhagen
• 1959 Aunt Mamie Jerome Laurence and Robert E. Lee, directed by Preben Neergaard, Avenue Theater, Copenhagen
• 1959 The Bournonville Ballet Conservatory , directed by Niels Björn Larsen, Pantomime Theater Copenhagen
• 1962 Tivoliana Björn Wiinblad and Niels Björd Larsen Ballet, Pantomime Theater, Copenhagen
• 1962 Undine Jean Giraudoux, director: Erling Schroeder, Das Neue Theater Copenhagen
• 1964 Life in the Rags Björn Wiinblad and Inge Sand Ballet, Pantomime Theater, Copenhagen
• 1964 The Tempest W. Shakespeare, Dallas Theater Center, USA
• 1965 The Lady and the Fool John Cranko Ballet, directed by Georgette Tsinquirides, Royal Theater Copenhagen
• 1967 Around the World in 80 Days J. Verne / Jens Louis Petersen and Erik Bögh, Director: Edvin Tiemroth, Aarhus Theater, Jutland
• 1968 The Cramér Ballet Ivo Cramér Ballet, Swedish Imperial Theater, Stockholm
• 1969 The swineherd H. Chr. Andersen / Flemming Finth, Amalienburg Palace and Royal Theater Copenhagen
• 1970 Die Leibjäger on Amager A. Bournonville Ballet, directed by Hans Brenaa, Royal Theater Copenhagen
• 1971 The Lady and the Fool John Cranko Ballet, directed by Georgette Tsinquirides, Royal Theater Copenhagen
• 1971 Harlequins Millions Marius Petipa, director: Hans Brenaa, Pantomimetheater, Copenhagen
• 1971 The Nutcracker by PI Tchaikovsky, directed by Flemming Flinth, Ballet Royal Theater Copenhagen
• 1973 No-No-Nanette Otto Herbach and Frank Mandel, directors: Gene Nettles and Ulf Stenbjörn, Aarhus Theater, Jutland
• 1974 Caesar and Cleopatra George Bernhard Shaw, director: Edvin Tiemroth, Odense Theater, Funen
• 1977 The Little Mermaid H. Chr. Andersen, director: Niels Björn Larsen, Ballet Pantomimetheater, Tivoli, Copenhagen
• 1979 The Flower Festival in Genzano A. Bournonville Ballet, directed by H. Brenaa and. NB Larsen, Mime Theater, Copenhagen
• 1982 A Midsummer Night's Dream Benjamin Britten, Badisches Staatstheater, Karlsruhe
• 1982 Don Ranundo Holberg, Dukketheater, Oslo
• 1984 The Barber of Baghdad , Badisches Staatstheater, Karlsruhe
• 1986 Springtime outfits and main curtain at The Marquis Theater, New York
• 1993 Sleeping Beauty Ballet Bernd Neumann, Halle Opera House
• 1994–2005 The Nutcracker PI Tchaikovsky, Ballet, Royal Theater, Copenhagen
• 1998 The Ugly Duckling , Ballet Pantomime Theater, Tivoli, Copenhagen
• 1999 Pierrot Lunaire , Ballet Royal Theater Copenhagen, Tivoli
• 2000 Princess and the Pea , Ballet Pantomime Theater, Tivoli, Copenhagen
• 2005 Hans Christian Andersen cycle , ballet pantomime theater, Tivoli, Copenhagen
• 1994–2006 Luna Park (overall design and stages) Japan, opera and ballet productions [150 years of Hans-Christian Andersen] , Copenhagen - throughout Europe

45 years chief designer for Rosenthal AG in Selb

Rosenthal porcelain series Romanze

The productive collaboration between the freelancer Bjørn Wiinblad and Rosenthal AG in Selb began in 1957 and was continued for almost fifty years , also thanks to the personal friendship between Wiinblad and Philip Rosenthal († 2001). The following joint projects were realized:

• 1959/60 porcelain form Romanze , porcelain, glass, cutlery
• 1964 Siena coffee set with garden grill table
• 1966 Art ceramics juggler and candlestick woman
• 1968 porcelain shape magic flute
• 1964 Lotus porcelain form , coffee and dinner service
• 1969 porcelain gift series 1001 nights
• 1971 Petite Fleur Gold mocha service
• 1971 First Christmas plate for Rosenthal (twelve in total, limited edition)
• 1975 porcelain shape form without name a . a. with 40 Till Eulenspiegel motifs
• 1976 Bodil porcelain form
• 1976 Art furniture The four cardinal points (limited)
• 1978 Art Pottery Wiinblad's Poetic Ceramic
• 1978 Seasons decorative plate
• 1979–1983 Aladin collection (twelve plates)
• 1984–1987 Collective collection Sindbad der Seefahrer (eight plates)
• 1985 chandelier sculpture Midsummer Night's Dream
• 1985 Asimmetrias porcelain form , porcelain, glass, cutlery
• 1988-19 ?? Collector's collection The Magic Horse (twelve plates)
• 198? Scheherazade porcelain mold
• 2003 chess game (limited); with unique piece tribute to Philip Rosenthal
• 2007 series of vases silhouette black

Especially the plates of the collector's collections have a high collector's value today.

Art style and way of life

Wiinblad in the studio

Characteristic of Wiinblad's work are outlined figures, whose large, rounded faces with googly eyes and pointed noses are reminiscent of children's drawings. They are often shown in a natural but fantastic environment with filigree vine tendrils, framing wreaths of flowers and stylized trees. When Wiinblad uses colors, they are strong and rich, sometimes almost psychedelic and often framed or accentuated with shiny metallic gold or silver tones.

The variety of Wiinblad's designs - ceramics, cutlery, stage decorations, costumes, furniture, textiles, figurines, ceramic wall coverings, tapestries, glass windows, fountains, gardens, grill tables, posters, book illustrations, works in silver, bronze and glass - were also found in his private interests: Classical music was compulsory during his work in the studio. Wiinblad was a rider, drove fast wagons, collected exotic works of art, played the piano , was an imaginative cook and often entertained friends and relatives at invitations. In addition to his native Danish, Wiinblad was fluent in German and English. Wiinblad's head office with studio and workshop was in Blå Hus ( Blue House ) in Kongens Lyngby, where the lonely artist often finished his designs regardless of the time of day or night, and even today (2010) after his Designs porcelains are made. In Switzerland he had residence in Schaffhausen ( near the horse forest ) and a studio in Lausanne . While working with Rosenthal he had a studio in Selb , an apartment in Salzburg , a holiday home on Ærø and a weekend house in Asserbo .

Exhibitions

In the 1950s and 1960s, Wiinblad's graphic work was shown in Europe , the United States (for the first time 1954), Japan , Australia and Canada (1968). Museums around the world are currently showing his works, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London ; the Museum of Modern Art in New York , the National Museum in Stockholm and the Museum of Applied Arts ( Kunstindustrimuseet ) in Copenhagen .

Selected exhibitions:

• 1945 (Jan. 13) First exhibition (ceramics, portraits, illustrations), Copenhagen
• 1945 Binger, Copenhagen
• 1946, 1956 and 1965 Den Permanente , Copenhagen
• 1947 Röhsska Konstslöjdmuseet, Gothenburg
• 1950 Nordiska Kompaniet, Stockholm
• 1954 Georg Jensen, New York (NY)
• 1954 Brown Stone Gallery (Contemporary Art in Scandinavia), New York (NY)
• 1961, 1972, 1974 Illums Bolighus, Copenhagen
• 1963 Gumps, San Francisco
• 1963 Niemann-Marcus, Dallas (TX)
• 1964 Georg Jensen, New York (NY)
• 1967 Rosenthal Studio-Haus, Zurich (" 10 years Wiinblad-Rosenthal ")
• 1969 Takashimaya, Tokyo
• 1970 Bloomingdales, New York (NY)
• Since 1971 permanent exhibition and sale at Bjørn Wiinblads Hus , Copenhagen
• 1974 Århus Art Museum 1974 (" Bjørn Wiinblad wonderful world ")
• 1975 Art Museum, North Jutland
• 1978 Gürzenich (" Gobelin Exhibition "), Cologne
• 1980 Theater im Pfalzbau, Ludwigshafen am Rhein
• 1980 Landesbank Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel
• 1982 Austrian Theater Museum, Vienna
• 1985–1986 Dumont-Lindemann-Archiv, Düsseldorf
• 1994–2006 Theater Museum, Copenhagen

Retro exhibitions:

• 2007 European Industrial Museum for Porcelain, Selb (retrospective)
• September 2, 2012 - February 24, 2013 in Grimmerhus, CLAY Ceramics Museum Denmark, extended until April 1, 2013 in the ARKEN Museum of Modern Art
• June 13, 2015 - January 17, 2016 in ARKEN Museum of Modern Art

Awards

• 1965 International Design Award
• 1974 Craftsman Association Honor ( Royal Honor Craftsman of the Year in Denmark)
• American Library Association Award for Andersen's The Swineherd's illustration
• 1985 New York Man of the Year
• 1989 Bakken Oscar
• 1995 Culture Prize from the American-Scandinavian Foundation

Quotes

Bjørn Wiinblad about himself:

"I work practically day and night, and I enjoy doing it for my life."

"I am a galloping amateur."

"I actually only do things that I need myself."

bibliography

• Rosenthal Myths, Fairy Tales and Music - Homage Bjørn Wiinblad , Selb (2007)
• Mel Byars Design Encyclopedia Klinkhardt & Biermann, Munich (1994), p. 590
• Thomas Heider, Markus Stegmann, René Zey Lexikon Internationales Design , Rowohlt (1994), pp. 362–363
• Bernd Fritz The Porcelain Crockery of the Rosenthal Group - 1891-1979 , Stuttgart (1989), pp. 47–48

Web links

Commons : Bjørn Wiinblad  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Literature by and about Bjørn Wiinblad in the catalog of the German National Library

Individual evidence

1. ↑ En kunstners værker i tilbageblik A work of art in retrospect
2. ↑ Wiinblad vender tilbage: Nyt liv til gamle Streger