Ingvar Cronhammar (17 December 1947 – 20 May 2021) was a Swedish-Danish sculptor, who lived in Denmark from 1965 until his death. He gained a unique place in Danish art with his dark monumental works, often presenting an eerie confrontation between modern technology and the primitive past.

Biography

Born in

Hässleholm Hässleholm (older da, Hasselholm) is a locality and the seat of Hässleholm Municipality, Scania County, Sweden with 18,500 inhabitants in 2010. Overview Hässleholm was gradually developed from 1860 in connection with the construction of the ...

in the south of Sweden, he moved to Denmark in 1965 where he studied at the

Jutland Art Academy Jutland Art Academy ( da, Det Jyske Kunstakademi, abbreviated DJK), is a state recognized institute for higher education in Aarhus, Denmark, offering a 5-year programme in contemporary art. The academy has no departments and focuses on conceptuall ...

in Aarhus from 1967 to 1971. Until the early 1980s, inspired by

environmental art Environmental art is a range of artistic practices encompassing both historical approaches to nature in art and more recent ecological and politically motivated types of works. Environmental art has evolved away from formal concerns, for example ...

from the U.S., his spectacular works revealed his fascination with conflict and provocation and his contempt for convention. An early example was ''Koncert for en hjemmeværnsmand'' (Concert for the Home Guard, 1969) featuring live chickens with lamps strapped to their backs. In 1979, he presented chairs draped with pigskin and a parasol with swastikas. Over the years, his works became increasingly larger, often with a sacred look, simultaneously inducing fascination and disgust. ''The Gate'' (1988) presents an infernal machine of steel, sound, light, and movement, representing a confrontation with death. The direct confrontation of work and nature is also apparent in his gigantic ''

Elia Elia is a name which may be a variant of the names Elias, Elijah, Eli or Eliahu, and may refer to: People * Aelia (gens) or Elia, a ''gens'' of Ancient Rome Mononymic * Elia or Elijah, a biblical prophet * Elia, a pen-name of Charles Lamb First ...

'' (1989–2001) in Herning, conceived as a fire-spitting temple of dark steel. His fascination with machines also produced works with animal bones, bird wings and skin, juxtaposing nature with culture and creating visions combining primitive elements with modern technology. Cronhammar stands alone in Danish culture with his huge monumental, machine-like works which he created with dark materials such as mahogany, steel. and rubber. They can be found both in museums and as public works across the country. The

Herning Museum of Contemporary Art Heart: Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, formerly Herning Kunstmuseum, was founded in Herning, Denmark, in 1976. It opened in 1977 in Angligården, an old shirt factory designed by C. F. Møller. In 2009, it reopened in new premises designed by ...

exhibits a large collection of his works. He died on May 20, 2021, at the age of 73 from blood clots in his heart.

Awards

In 1993, Cronhammar was awarded the

Eckersberg Medal The Eckersberg Medal (originally the ''Akademiets Aarsmedaille'' or Annual Academy Medal) is an annual award of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. It is named after Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, known as the father of Danish painting. The Ec ...

and, in 2003, the

Thorvaldsen Medal The Thorvaldsen Medal ( Danish: Thorvaldsens Medalje, Thorvaldsen Medaillen) is awarded annually with few exceptions to a varying number of recipients by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and is its highest distinction within the visual arts. I ...

. He was decorated a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 2007.

References

Literature

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External links

Ingvar Cronhammar's websiteComprehensive list of Cronhammar's works from KunstOnlineIllustrated portrait of Ingvar Cronhammar from KunstOnline
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cronhammar, Ingvar 1947 births 2021 deaths Swedish male sculptors People from Hässleholm Municipality Recipients of the Thorvaldsen Medal Recipients of the Eckersberg Medal Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog Naturalised citizens of Denmark Swedish contemporary artists 21st-century Swedish male artists