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Ole Christensen, 1991

About the work

In Byparken next to Vejle Musikteater, the sculpture Stonehenge in granite stands as two tight, simple shapes that appear as a musical note. The sculpture’s namesake, Stonehenge in Southern England, consists of large, raw monumental stones and marks a ritual area from antiquity. Ole Christensen’s sculpture, on the other hand, is finely crafted, and with its location in Byparken also marks a meeting place.

It was erected in October 1991 and donated to Vejle Municipality by Vejle Brand g/s on the occasion of the insurance company’s 150th anniversary.

The sculpture consists of two basic shapes, which recur: the feminine, receiving bowl shape and the upright, masculine pillar shape. Ole Christensen has used these life-affirming primordial forms in many variations and combinations in his practice.

Just as Stonehenge in England is built of two types of stone, reddish and blue stones, Ole Christensen has also chosen red and blue stone for his Stonehenge. The colors help to contrast the masculine and feminine elements in the sculpture. It is said that there is a temperature difference in the two types of stones used for the construction of the English Stonehenge, where the red Sarsen stone is warm, and the Bluestone is cold. Whether this is also the case in Ole Christensen’s Stonehenge, you have to find out for yourself.

 

About the artist

The shapes of nature, the simple, smooth, rough, and cool stones have occupied Ole Christensen (1932-2000) since he was on holiday at his grandparents’ house on Bornholm as a child. His grandfather was a stonemason and Ole’s interest in the stonemasonry profession arose. At home in Copenhagen, an apprenticeship was obtained, and Ole was trained as a stonemason at the age of 19. He was then admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts’ sculpture school in Copenhagen, from where he was educated in 1958. After that, he and his wife, academy friend Karin Høj, moved to Bornholm, where he lived and worked in his own workshop. For Christensen, working with granite became the preferred form of expression, inspired by the forms of nature, and Christensen became known and respected as an artist who could handle the most demanding ornamentation, which is why he made many public town square decorations

Kort over Vejle midtby

Sculp­ture guide

The sculpture guide provides you with an overview on some of the sculptures there is to be found in Vejle. Go for a walk downtown and experience the art.

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