Knud Holst Andersen

Knud Holst Andersen
1935 - 2009
Preface
Coverpicture
Knud Holst Andersen
photographed in his
workshop by
Mogens S. Koch, 1976.
In 1982 the newspaper Berlingske
Tidende ran an article by Knud Holst
Andersen entitled “There’s a hole in the
vase”. The hole meant the difference
between craft and art. Michael von Essen
made me aware of the article when we
talked about this exhibition. To me it was
one of those odd coincidences you
sometimes encounter. I had recently
asked my accountant, to find out
whether my brass works were eligible for
artist VAT which is 5% instead of 25%.
The request was denied based on the
definition of an object of art according to
the VAT rules. An art object is for
example: A sculpture created by the artist
himself, ceramic one-of-a-kind pieces,
enamel on copper and – photo art. The
explicit exceptions are works by goldand silversmiths, apparently regardless
of the materials.
Holst’s article is still relevant. Taking
into account the commercial value of an
object, with or without VAT, these regulations mean that a silversmith’s income is
reduced by approximately 20% compared
to his more fortunate art and craftsman
colleagues who sell with reduced VAT.
We are publishing the article in this
catalogue, in part because Holst probably
wouldn’t mind helping raise awareness
about this issue once again, and in part
because a significant part of his work is
an authorship, including books such as:
“My Slitty-Eyed Family” and “Close the
Gate for God’s Sake and for the Dog’s”.
The books come highly recommended
and the article finely illustrates Holst’s
style and sense of humor.
In 2004, Holst exhibited his works in
my shop. We were both so happy with
the exhibition that we agreed to repeat it
– perhaps in connection with Holst’s
70th birthday. Meanwhile, Holst became
ill, and not until after his death did I
arrange a memorial exhibition with his
sons Ken and Kai Holst Andersen. For a
number of different reasons, it has not
been possible until now, 2012, to show
the exhibition.
In an article in the magazine Dansk
Brugskunst, 1968 the architect Ibi Trier
Mørch wrote: “...When exhibitions of
Japanese craft are held close to us, we all
jump at the opportunity to delight in the
sight of the incomparable, beautiful and
functional objects...in addition to
recognizing our close connection to the
Japanese mode of expression, and try as
best we can at given times to understand
some of its requirements, there are very
few Danish artists who realize the dream
of studying Japanese craft in depth.
One of the few Danes who really set
out to study an area of the Japanese craft
work methods on site is the silversmith
K. Holst Andersen....”
In Japan, Holst learned the vert-de-
gris technique. The green verdigris does
not stick on smooth surfaces, which
Holst takes advantage of by working the
metal with different rough hammer
strokes, which when introduced to the
chemicals that cause the verdigris,
provides various shimmering effects
depending on the texture of the metal
and controlled by the application of
chemicals on the metal.
Combined with a free use of traditional silversmith techniques that he had
learnt from Sven Toxværd, he creates an
autonomous sculptural expression that is
quite unusual in Danish metal works. An
object forged by Holst is a vivid expression that you will not see in any cast
work. During preparation the metal is
suspended in a form which cannot be
reproduced through modeling, and a
substantial part of the expression is often
provided by openings and the shell-like
nature of the piece.
The immediate sensuality, which to
me is the essence of Holst’s works, has
again made it a real pleasure to open the
fine wooden boxes he has made for each
of the pieces; to hold the metal and allow
yourself to be surprised and captivated by
the supreme technical mastery expressed
in each work.
Per Sax Møller 2012
Berlingske Tidende 02.05.1982
There is a hole in the vase
Art or Craft – it is a question of VAT
By Knud Holst Andersen,
silversmith and sculptor
The other day, in desperation that our
gardengate was never closed and our dog
ran off, I put up a sign saying “CLOSE
THE GATE FOR GOD’S SAKE AND for
THE DOG’S”.
Our friendly neighbour explained to
me when he saw it, that you can’t say
that. Nevertheless, the sign remains.
But to the point: I am a silversmith
(craftsman) and in my workshop (studio)
I make sculptures (art).
When I was still young and naive I
made useful objects (craft). It was a
happy and carefree time. I enjoyed the
understanding of my fellow men: a
craftsman of course makes craft – and
has nothing to do with art. That is just
the way it is.
My workshop was naturally VAT
registered like any other business. It was
a little difficult but with help and
understanding from the nice people at the
Register I did manage to figure it out.
But then one day I started to make
art. Instead of useful objects my pieces
became sculptures – something that is
only decoration and has no practical
purpose.
At first it went well. My friends at
the VAT register told me that now I no
longer had to be a member of their club.
And I was free from a lot of accounting
and paperwork. I just had to be careful
not to start making any craft or they
would come after me I was told.
Thus relieved I continued working.
The craftsman had become an artist and
I was pleased that in this country there is
no VAT on art. Dutiful as I am, I naturally
also took care not to accidentally make
any of the craft I wasn’t allowed to
without VAT.
It is only art, which can not be used
for any practical purpose, the decoration
– pictures on the wall and sculptures,
that which you should or must not
touch, that is exempt from VAT in the
production stage. That is society’s help to
“fine” art – which undeniably is in need
of help to even survive – the same society
by the way which with becoming logic
consequence often sees the same art as
little more than decoration.
Some might be misled to think that
crafts would therefore be given a higher
priority, since useful objects besides an
artistic quality also have a practical
purpose – no, any VAT excemption is
clearly rejected.
Only for decoration
Through the years I have always
consistently tried to suppress a crazy
assumption that it should be the artistic
experience – and not the issue decided
by society of art/crafts or decorative/
useful objects – that perhaps ought to be
decisive when evaluating creative work.
I excluded such heretic thoughts and
if they should stubbornly reappear, I
suppressed them as tenaciously as I
weeded my lawn.
The thought is of course quite
ridiculous. The artistic experience is a
consequence of an artistic quality of the
object. And a concept so vague can of
course not be used as a basis.
Any serious evaluation of creative
work must be based on systematic
categorization of the objects. This was
already realized with farsighted clarity
when a national, official support system
for advanced decorations was implemented, the Danish Arts Foundation.
The guidelines already so sensibly
mapped out by the VAT register were
largely followed. Things that were
useful were with renewed consideration
placed in a lower category than useless
decorations – the so called fine art,
paintings and sculptures.
It goes without saying that a chair
for instance – not to mention the chair:
a toilet – can never be as great art as a
sculpture which is only decoration, so
called art with an unambiguous artistic
aim. Or how can a spoon or a vase be as
good art as a picture on the wall?
By way of this categorization the
attention was in the most cunning
manner successfully diverted from the
more controversial artistic quality, as in
future there would be plenty to do,
deciding on a higher serious level,
whether for instance a tapestry is to be
considered decoration (fine art) and
thereby VAT exempt or craft (a weaver is
a craftsman), and whether one branch of
the Danish Arts Foundation, the department of fine art, or the other, the
department of crafts should support the
case.
The ceramist’s (yet another craftsman)
wall reliefs and stoneware sculptures
have equally provided the VAT register
and the Arts Foundation with many
happy hours of work on objective
discussions. And what do you do about a
sculptor’s (artist’s) open shapes which
foolish people might put a couple of
apples in? Are they still sculptures (fine
art) or bowls (craft) – belonging in
separate VAT- and Arts Foundation
categories?
In a time with lack of employment
one should welcome all this extra work,
which debate and investigation of these
for the arts and crafts so serious questions
have resulted in. And with such a workload who can be bothered to discuss
something as insignificant as artistic
quality.
Danish Arts Foundation
Some time ago I sold a sculpture to the
Danish Arts Foundation. A modest piece
standing on a wooden base.
The sale was of course to the Danish
Arts Foundation’s committee of crafts.
For if you are a craftsman, and I am
trained as such, you make craft. That is
what the rules say.
If you are – noted in parenthesis –
self-taught, completely without proper
education, you can however make art.
And provided the art is regarded as good
enough, you can of course enjoy
recognition for it. But to master a craft
has naturally nothing to do with art.
But back to the sale to the Danish Arts
Foundation of crafts. It concerned a
small silver sculpture which – without
its wooden base – could also be used as a
bracelet on an attractive lady, since the
hole was big enough for an arm to get
through. After mature consideration the
Danish Arts Foundation’s committee
decided to buy. But: the wooden base had
to be removed – it might mislead the
more sensitive souls to think that the
sculpture was art and not craft. And of
course it is not the task of the Danish
Arts Foundation’s committee of crafts to
be interested in art. According to the
rules it is the responsibility of the Danish
Arts Foundation’s committee of fine art.
By its Solomonic decision the committee
of crafts had erased any doubt: deprived
of its base my sculpture was completely
and solely craft since it was just a
bracelet and thereby naturally not art.
I am anxiously waiting to see the
Danish Arts Foundation of fine art
present just one example of great art
that has nothing to do with good
craftsmanship.
There is a hole in the vase
As I am no longer a craftsman but an
artist, and thus no longer answer to the
VAT register I have decided in future in
any case where it is possible to question
one of my sculptures – an uncomprehending person could perhaps think it was a
flower vase – to drill a hole in the bottom
of the sculpture, so it is guaranteed not
to hold water. Nor will I again tamper
with the base of a sculpture to make it a
craft object – and thereby making myself
guilty of fraud against the VAT register –
no, I glue all of them stuck.
Maybe it was not only in desperation
over the open garden gate and the
danger to our freedom loving dog that I
put up that sign on the gate. Maybe it
was also a result of a subconscious and
long suppressed urge to find new
expressions for the absurd, that can be so
intriguing and which our super organized society within certain areas has
learned to cultivate to near perfection.
1
Without title, 1984
Vert-de-gris
Height: 44 cm
DKK. 120.000,-
Knud Holst Andersen
Exhibition Catalogue
Saturday June 2. - Friday June 22. 2012
Bredgade 47 · 1260 København K
2
Trunk animal, 1987
Vert-de-gris
Length: 30 cm
DKK. 40.000,-
5
Tall slender torso,
1983
Vert-de-gris, granite
Height: 78 cm
DKK. 110.000,-
5
3
Fish head
Gilded brass
Height: 14 cm
DKK. 14.000,-
6
Hanging form
Pendant
Gold
DKK. 18.000,-
4
Foot
Silver
Length: 16 cm
DKK. 9.000,6
7
Man
Pendant
Gold
DKK. 22.000,-
8
Unfinished form
Vert-de-gris
Height: 29 cm
DKK. 35.000,-
2
3
7
4
8
9
Ring
Gold
DKK. 16.000,-
10
Long amoeba
Ring
Gold
DKK. 18.000,-
14
Sad mouth, 1990
Vert-de-gris
Height: 54 cm
DKK. 180.000,-
9
11
Hanging form
Vert-de-gris, beech
Length: 22 cm
DKK. 35.000,11
12
Dialogue
Silver
Length: 15 cm
DKK. 18.000,-
13
Dialogue, 1974
Brass
Length: 73 cm
DKK. 70.000,-
10
12
13
10
11
17
Torso
Vert-de-gris,
mahogany
Height: 32 cm
including base
DKK. 22.000,-
18
18
Large mobile, 1988
Brass, vert-de-gris
Length: 90 cm
DKK. 60.000,-
19
Stone form, 1977
Vert-de-gris
Length: 30 cm
DKK. 32.000,-
20
Turtle, 1988
Vert-de-gris
Length: 29 cm
DKK. 30.000,-
15
17
16
20
19
15
Wandering hand,
1989
Brass
Length: 48 cm
DKK. 60.000,-
16
Dog bone
Silver
Length: 11 cm
DKK. 14.000,-
12
13
21
3-legged form
Silver
Length: 29 cm
DKK. 32.000,-
24
24
Lying figure, 1974
Brass
Length: 68 cm
Kr. 60.000,-
22
Monkey mouth, 1987
Vert-de-gris
Length: 20 cm
DKK. 25.000,-
23
Hanging stone form
Vert-de-gris
Length: 21 cm
DKK. 26.000,-
21
22
14
23
15
25
Small sitting torso,
1984
Vert-de-gris
Length: 17 cm
DKK. 35.000,-
25
26
28
Swirling form
Silver
Length: 23 cm
DKK. 26.000,-
28
29
Plant
Silver, palisander
Height: 36 cm
DKK. 28.000,-
26
Mobile
Silver, flint
Length: 24 cm
DKK. 26.000,-
30
Man and woman
Vert-de-gris
Height: 38 cm
DKK. 20.000,-
27
Aggression, 1990
Brass, vert-de-gris
Length: 90 cm
DKK. 90.000,-
27
16
29
30
17
31
Large head, 1985
Brass, palisander
22 cm
DKK. 26.000,-
31
32
32
Curved form
Silver
Length: 18 cm
DKK. 22.000,-
33
Tall tense form, 1983
Vert-de-gris,
silverplated
Diameter: 35 cm
DKK. 40.000,-
33
18
19
34
37
37
Hanging fetalform,
1996
Vert-de-gris
Length: 47 cm
DKK. 45.000,-
38
Mobile
Brass, stone
Length: 31 cm
DKK. 18.000,-
34
Life
Silver
Length: 57 cm
DKK. 220.000,-
35
36
38
35
Amoeba
Vert-de-gris
Length: 22 cm
DKK. 32.000,-
36
Thumb
Vert-de-gris
Height: 19 cm
DKK. 18.000,-
20
21
From sheet to form
Holst’s treatment of a metalsheet photographed by Mogens S. Koch
Graphic Design: Birgit Zalcberg
Catalogue pictures are photographed by Per Sax Møller
except the catalogue numbers 18, 26 og 27
Print: Narayana Press
22
B re d g a d e 47 · 12 60 København K
33 1 4 0 9 5 1 · www.saxsilver.com