Mogens Møller (28 November 1934 – 16 June 2021Den minimalistiske billedkunstner Mogens Møller er død - 86 år
) was a Danish

Minimalist In visual arts, music, and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in the post-war era in western art. The movement is often interpreted as a reaction to abstract expressionism and modernism; it anticipated contemporary post-mi ...

sculptor and painter who has designed a number of large public works and created the portrait of Queen Margrethe on Danish coins.

Biography

Born in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, Møller studied at the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts () has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Danish Academy of Portraiture, Sculpture, and Architecture in Cope ...

under

Gottfred Eickhoff Gottfred Eickhoff (11 April 1902 in Frederiksberg – 26 July 1982) was a Danish sculptor. Inspired by French trends, his work contrasted with that of his predecessors, exhibiting a spirit of harmony, peace and balance. Early life After matricula ...

and Richard Mortensen (1962–66). In the 1960s, together with

Hein Heinsen Hein Olaf Heinsen (born July 23, 1935, in Grindsted, Denmark) is a Danish artist who has contributed to the Lutheran art of Scandinavia. He made his debut on the Danish art scene in the 1960s as part of the minimalistic movement. Heinsen served as ...

and Stig Brøgger, he was one of those who brought American trends in

Minimalism In visual arts, music, and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in the post-war era in western art. The movement is often interpreted as a reaction to abstract expressionism and modernism; it anticipated contemporary post-mi ...

to Denmark. Working towards an improved perception of space, they produced a number of rectilinear works including ''Fire kvadradiske rammer'' (Four Square Frames, 1966) and ''Fredens Port'' (Gate of Peace, 1982). Møller then moved into sculpture where he could better represent mass media's

oversimplification The fallacy of the single cause, also known as complex cause, causal oversimplification, causal reductionism, root cause fallacy, and reduction fallacy, is an informal fallacy of questionable cause that occurs when it is assumed that there is a si ...

of a complex world. In 1980, he completed his ''Stjerne, Stjerneport og Stjernefragment'' (Star, Star Gate and Star Fragment), a decoration for

Aalborg University Aalborg University (AAU) is an international public university with campuses in Aalborg, Esbjerg, and Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1974, the university awards bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and PhD degrees in a wide variety of subje ...

. The open star represents a quest for dialogue, a theme which often characterizes his work. The portrait of Queen Margrethe on Danish 10 and 20 kroner coins since 2001 is the work of Mogens Møller. From 2004 to 2007, together with Heinsen and Brøgger, he carried out comprehensive decoration work at the Ollerup School of Gymnastics on the island of

Funen Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

. From 1989 to 1998, Møller was a professor of sculpture at the

Awards

In 1988, Møller 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 ...

and, in 1994, the

Thorvaldsen Medal The Thorvaldsen Medal (Danish language, 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 th ...

References

Literature

* *Møller, Mogens; Neergaard, Ulrikke; The Bunker Secret Society; Dahlin, Dorte; Havshøj, Jane; Nefer Olsen, Kasper; Hornung, Peter Michael; Bukdahl, Else Marie (2016). VÆ

Strandberg Publishing. ISBN 978-87-92894-72-4.

External links

Illustrated list of works by Mogens Møller in Danish museums from Kunstindeks DanmarkExamples of Danish coins with Queen Margrethe's portrait designed by Mogens MøllerMogens Møller's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moller, Mogens 1934 births 2021 deaths Danish sculptors Minimalist artists Painters from Copenhagen Sculptors from Copenhagen Recipients of the Thorvaldsen Medal Recipients of the Eckersberg Medal Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni Academic staff of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts