Preben Hornung

Preben Hornung (1919–1989), known for his paintings, drawings, and graphic works, played a crucial role in the development of abstraction in 20th century Danish art. A solo exhibition of works from his productive collaboration with Niels Borch Jensen’s Copenhagen print studio will be presented in BORCHs Butik, Copenhagen, from 31 March through 18 May 2017.

Striving for innovation in both form and content thoughout his career, Preben Hornung constantly shifting back and forth between abstraction and figuration. Between 1986 and 1989 Hornung created a substantial number of graphic works in cooperation with Niels Borch Jensen’s Copenhagen print studio. In his body of printed work the artist returned to figurative depictions, among them circus and theatre scenes. He revisited a number of his most well known motifs, like his depictions of Carcasses from the 1960s, and the studio images from the 1980s.

Hornung was a member of several of Denmark’s most renowned artist gropus, namely Linien II, Den Frie Udstilling, and Decembristerne. He also received numerous comissions for public artworks, among them the council chamber in Rødovre townhall (1959) and the Danish National Bank in Copenhagen (1977). Preben Hornungs work is represented in a large number of private and public collections across Denmark.