JUNE 2024: Featured Artist
Sculptor's Menagerie Weaves Whimsical Tales with Broad Perspectives
An Interview with
Bjørn Okholm Skaarup
Bjørn Okholm Skaarup with Bronze Hippo Ballerina
Photo Credit: Cavalier Gallery |
Bjørn Okholm Skaarup was born in Rudkøbing, Denmark, in 1973. From 1994 to 2004, Bjørn was an artist at the Danish National Museum, Copenhagen, before moving to Florence and receiving a Ph.D. from the European University Institute in 2009. While in Florence, he studied the work of Renaissance sculptors Donatello, Cellini, and Giambologna, learning the vanishing art of large-scale bronze casting. He also wrote and illustrated books on history, archaeology and anatomy. In 2012, Bjørn was commissioned by the Koldinghus Museum, Kolding, a former Danish royal residence, to create four large reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Christian IV of Denmark. He was given his first solo U.S. museum exhibition at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 2015. That same year, the Collectivité of St. Barth acquired a suite of ten animal sculptures for public display throughout the island. In 2020, Bjørn completed a portrait bust of Benjamin Ferencz (1920–2023), the last chief prosecutor of the Nuremberg Trials, which was donated to the Nuremberg Palace of Justice on Ferencz’s 100th birthday. Bjørn lives and works in New York City. He is a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors. |
Bjørn discusses his love of history, fables and animals as well as his desire for his work to reach a broad audience, prompting varied perspectives.
Your father was an archaeologist. Since this is Sanctuary’s “Celebrating the Men in Our Lives” special issue, please let readers know if your father inspired your love of history, which is often apparent in your works.
We are both huge history buffs, and he is a renowned archaeologist in my native land; but as a historian, I’ve always preferred to study the monuments, libraries and artworks of past ages rather than digging through their waste. When I was a kid and a teenager, my father and I would always discuss historical topics around the dinner table (and we still do). In hindsight, I can only feel sorry for my poor mother and sister who have often had to endure our constant attempts to compete over who was the most knowledgeable about the past.
We are both huge history buffs, and he is a renowned archaeologist in my native land; but as a historian, I’ve always preferred to study the monuments, libraries and artworks of past ages rather than digging through their waste. When I was a kid and a teenager, my father and I would always discuss historical topics around the dinner table (and we still do). In hindsight, I can only feel sorry for my poor mother and sister who have often had to endure our constant attempts to compete over who was the most knowledgeable about the past.
Circus (Close-Up)
Bronze & Steel ~ 78 x 39 x 117 inches (for complete display) © Bjørn Okholm Skaarup |
Circus (Close-Up)
Bronze & Steel ~ 78 x 39 x 117 inches (for complete display) © Bjørn Okholm Skaarup |
Have you always worked in bronze? What do you appreciate about this sculpture medium?
I worked as an illustrator at the National Museum of Denmark for more than ten years, most of the time on making exact drawings of numerous fantastic finds from the Danish bronze age. I believe that the prehistoric move from stone age to bronze age was as big a civilizational leap forward as the much later moon landing. The extremely complex and time-consuming bronze casting techniques haven’t changed much for several thousands of years and have ever since enabled the creation of very sophisticated and elaborate artworks.
I worked as an illustrator at the National Museum of Denmark for more than ten years, most of the time on making exact drawings of numerous fantastic finds from the Danish bronze age. I believe that the prehistoric move from stone age to bronze age was as big a civilizational leap forward as the much later moon landing. The extremely complex and time-consuming bronze casting techniques haven’t changed much for several thousands of years and have ever since enabled the creation of very sophisticated and elaborate artworks.
The Four Seasons
Bronze ~ 18 x 22 x 12 inches
© Bjørn Okholm Skaarup
Bronze ~ 18 x 22 x 12 inches
© Bjørn Okholm Skaarup
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Have you always been inspired to make a connection between the animal world and human culture?
I’ve always loved fables which (just like bronze casting) date back several thousands of years. Animals have been used as symbols and allegories by every known human civilization. Sometimes fables describe human folly and aspirations better than stories which only include humans. A late and well-known example of this beloved genre is George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Which animal or species do you feel has been most misrepresented in literature? I think the poor wolf has had a really hard time — it has been given a terrible reputation, in both books and movies. As a result, wolves have now almost been removed from their biospheres, where deer populations have instead exploded, often resulting in damaged trees and vegetation, landslides, and tick-borne illnesses. I happened upon your exhibition outside Grand Central Terminal (Pershing Square) in 2022. The “Hippo Ballerina”* stood tall and proud. What message did you hope to convey with this whimsical series and this sculpture in particular? I like to think of her as a dainty, happy-go-lucky, and rather unimpressed character who just likes to do her own thing. Apparently this carefree and light-hearted approach to life is very appealing — perhaps especially during the constantly stressful times we’re currently living in. *Hippo Ballerina has moved to several locations throughout Manhattan. |
Alexander's Flying Machine
Bronze ~ 42 x 46 x 54 inches © Bjørn Okholm Skaarup |
Hippo Ballerina (Dante Park in front of Lincoln Center)
Bronze & Polychrome Patina ~ Approx. 15 feet (H)
© Bjørn Okholm Skaarup
Bronze & Polychrome Patina ~ Approx. 15 feet (H)
© Bjørn Okholm Skaarup
How important is humor and whimsical fantasy in your work? Do you intend to make light of the subject matter, or do you beg the question, “Could you please look more closely?”
I’ve always liked works of art that can be enjoyed on different levels. An example is Winnie the Pooh, which I enjoyed immensely as a kid without then understanding all its discrete and hidden references to British understatement, lost pre-WWI innocence, etc., which now make these books so interesting to revisit. Another example is The Simpsons, which has had an enormous global appeal across both national and age barriers. One of my friend’s kids loved the little Maggie character but probably didn’t get the more obscure references to Sideshow Bob’s obsession with Susan Sontag or the comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore. I hope both kids and adults can appreciate some of my artworks, which are deliberately communicative and aimed at a broad audience.
I’ve always liked works of art that can be enjoyed on different levels. An example is Winnie the Pooh, which I enjoyed immensely as a kid without then understanding all its discrete and hidden references to British understatement, lost pre-WWI innocence, etc., which now make these books so interesting to revisit. Another example is The Simpsons, which has had an enormous global appeal across both national and age barriers. One of my friend’s kids loved the little Maggie character but probably didn’t get the more obscure references to Sideshow Bob’s obsession with Susan Sontag or the comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore. I hope both kids and adults can appreciate some of my artworks, which are deliberately communicative and aimed at a broad audience.
Hippo Ribbon Dancer
Bronze & Copper ~ 36 x 13 x 9 inches © Bjørn Okholm Skaarup |
Hippo Ballerina, Pirouette (Pershing Square)
Bronze & Polychrome Patina ~ 89 x 65 x 60 inches © Bjørn Okholm Skaarup |
Seated Hippo Ballerina
Bronze ~ 18 x 12 inches © Bjørn Okholm Skaarup |
As part of your recent exhibition “A Mythical Menagerie” at Cavalier Galleries, I was struck by “Alexander’s Diving Bell” which is both intricate and grand. It’s also stagnant with its chained anchors, yet alive with the movement of the sea creatures surrounding King Alexander, who is placed — perhaps — in a proverbial fishbowl. The viewer can either adopt the perspective of Alexander or the sea creatures. It might ask the question: Are Humans navigating the world in such a way that they are cooperating with all living things? I suppose I sat with this one a bit.
I appreciate it when viewers like you find new, hidden layers in the sculptures. Alexander’s mythical conquests of both the skies and the deepest seas represent a long-held human dream (finally realized by American inventors and explorers in the 20th century). These incredible human achievements are fittingly a cause for pride and celebration. Unfortunately, we are now experiencing some unexpectedly negative consequences (in climate, biodiversity etc.) of having conquered almost all corners of our planet and the skies above it.
I appreciate it when viewers like you find new, hidden layers in the sculptures. Alexander’s mythical conquests of both the skies and the deepest seas represent a long-held human dream (finally realized by American inventors and explorers in the 20th century). These incredible human achievements are fittingly a cause for pride and celebration. Unfortunately, we are now experiencing some unexpectedly negative consequences (in climate, biodiversity etc.) of having conquered almost all corners of our planet and the skies above it.
Alexander's Diving Bell
Bronze & Mixed Media ~ 40 x 49 x 49 inches
© Bjørn Okholm Skaarup
Bronze & Mixed Media ~ 40 x 49 x 49 inches
© Bjørn Okholm Skaarup
Your work celebrates Mother Earth’s creatures in many forms. Which animal do you relate to most?
I have always had a soft spot for polar bears and was completely obsessed with these majestic animals when I was very little. My first dated drawing from 1976 (when I was 3) depicts two polar bears feasting on a delicious seal meal.
The fine detail in your sculptures — not to mention the number of individual pieces and large sizes of some of the works — must take an incredible amount of time to finish. To date, which piece was the most difficult to create?
One of my most time-consuming pieces was “The Battle of the Frogs and the Mice,” which is based on an ancient Greek fable and satire over The Iliad. I spent a lot of time sculpting all the little mice warriors and later made a Trojan Horse filled with similar mice warriors.
I have always had a soft spot for polar bears and was completely obsessed with these majestic animals when I was very little. My first dated drawing from 1976 (when I was 3) depicts two polar bears feasting on a delicious seal meal.
The fine detail in your sculptures — not to mention the number of individual pieces and large sizes of some of the works — must take an incredible amount of time to finish. To date, which piece was the most difficult to create?
One of my most time-consuming pieces was “The Battle of the Frogs and the Mice,” which is based on an ancient Greek fable and satire over The Iliad. I spent a lot of time sculpting all the little mice warriors and later made a Trojan Horse filled with similar mice warriors.
