Scandinavian Modern Wall Hung Stoneware Dish by Erik Nyholm, Denmark, 1960s

Description

Unique stoneware wall hung dish by Danish Artist Erik Nyholm made in the 1960s in his own studio. The chamotte … more Unique stoneware wall hung dish by Danish Artist Erik Nyholm made in the 1960s in his own studio. The chamotte stoneware dish is decorated with an amazing thick glazing in earth colours. Erik Nyholm ceramics are not applied art. It is visual art intended for the eyes, like landscapes or forest floors to let the gaze wander. Dishes, reliefs and jar forms are created in clay and colored by glaze – and all kinds of materials: ash, earth, sand or gravel, glass or porcelain shards, which after firing give structure and further contribute to the colours. Erik Nyholm (1911-1990) found inspiration for his ceramic works in nature. On walks in his home region of Jutland, he collected gravel, bog soil and broken glass, which he incorporated into his landscape motifs. Erik Nyholm actually started out as a painter, but at the urging of his close friend Asger Jorn, Nyholm put the brush on the shelf and threw himself into ceramics. His works differed markedly from contemporary currents in Danish ceramic art; while the artists at Den Kongelige Porcelænsfabrik, Kähler and Saxbo sought to refine the glazes, forms and techniques that their predecessors had developed, Nyholm wanted to create images, not applied art. Starting from simple basic forms, round dishes, reliefs and jars, he created a large number of ceramic images, where the experience of the material and its transformations in the firings can be felt to a great extent. Erik Nyholm also carried out a number of larger decorations, including Jean Dubuffet's ceramic wall decoration in 1977 for the Silkeborg Art Museum, today Museum Jorn. The workshop came to function as a gathering point, and new generations of artists and potters sought his help and guidance. Erik Nyholm himself strove to the end in his own works to pave new paths within the age-old artistic expression of ceramics. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution less