Joseph Noiret, Histoires Naturelles de la Creveche.

Complete, with 3 full page original color lithographs by Mogens Balle.

Number 123 of 260 copies. Softcover. First edition. 1965. Book measures 10 x 7.5 inches.

Near Fine condition, minor shelfwear to the covers; otherwise a sharp, bright, clean copy.

Mogens Balle was born as Mogens Erik Schack Balle in Copenhagen on the 1st of April, 1921. He was active as a painter and writer. He was first trained as an architect, but he discontinued this course because he wanted to engage with visual arts.

Balle was co-founder of the Danish artist union Spirals (1947). Countryman and artist Asger Jorn (1914-1973), also a member of the aforementioned union is the very reason why Balle came in contact with the members of the CoBrA movement in 1949. Balle’s work was, along with that of Karel Appel (1921-2006), Corneille (1922-2010), Asger Jorn and Egill Jacobsen (1910-1998), exhibited in Paris, but not during the CoBrA exhibitions in Amsterdam (1949) and Liege (1951).

After the disintegration of the CoBrA group, the works of Balle became more spontaneous and abstract. It can be argued that after his period with CoBrA, Balle’s unrestrained manner of painting became fully developed. As from the 50’s, next to paintings, he created several peinture-mots (word paintings). He this did with former CoBrA member Christian Dotremont (1922-1979). With peinture-mots, words and pictures are merged together as one whole in a single work. As from the 60’s Balle began to manufacture bronze fantasy figures.