'The Owl' - 1935
Sonja Ferlov Mancoba was born in 1911. She attended among other art schools
the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.
In 1935 she had her first exhibition of sculptures, but during the following
few years she also did paintings in oil.
Already in her early sculptures one notices a firm, almost symmetrical construction;
she worked intensively with concave and convex shapes. This is particularly
apparent in Ugle (Owl), 1936. This sculpture is part of the tradition of
mask representations which later became characteristic of abstract Danish
painting, particularly during the war, and of which the international Cobra
Movement was an offshoot.
The mask motive in Sonja Ferlov Mancoba’s work arose as a natural consequence
of her interest in African art, and the motive is seen in sculptures like
Krigens udbrud (Outbreak of War), 1939.
Through experiments with form and through a clarification of her own attitude
to the relationship between art and society she reached a very personal mode
of expression.
The titles of her sculptures indicate the artistic intentions which she tried
to carry out: Daggry (Daybreak), Koncentration (Concentration), Resistance,
Effort Commun, Elan vers l’avenir, Solidaritet (Solidarity), L’accord and
A l’écoute du silence.
She tried in her work to uncover new forms, and she cut her way to
reaching a balance which was almost symmetrical showing a strength and vitality
which in her best work turned into a magical expression of form. During the
extraordinary process of the creation of a work of art in the course of which
emotions and thoughts materialize into structures and symbols she forgot
neither her deep attachment to the patterns of civilization nor her own social
philosophy.
She also made some drawings and collages, se her cover of 'CobraBibliotheket'
volume 9 from 1950 further down.
About other Cobra artists
Piere Alechinsky
Else Alfelt
Karel Appel
Mogens Balle
Ejler Bille
Corneille
Christian
Dotremont
Sonja Ferlov
Stephen Gilbert
Svavar Gudnason
Henry Heerup
C. O. Hultén
Egill Jacobsen
Asger Jorn
Erik Ortvad
Carl-Henning Petersen
Max Walter
Svanberg
Anders Österlin
Cobra Bibliotheket 9 - 1950