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Cubist space-perception, regardless of technique. He could therefore
more freely integrate the entire spectrum of Cubist inventions into his
compositions, both those made by others and the ones he invented or
rediscovered on his own. His sense of pictorial homogeneity - that is, the
internal concordance between all segments of the painting, including the
objects, background, space rendition, independent planes and color effects
he had elected to employ within a given painting - provided him the
necessary security for his creativity and experimentation to operate
within.
It is significant
that one only rarely encounter inconsistencies in Skov’s paintings with
respect to the Cubist expression, and only minor ones at that; particularly
since this sets him apart from many artists who have experimented with
Cubism without fully sensing or understanding its internal paradigm. What
is meant by inconsistency in this context, is the violation of the
uniqueness of the Cubist vision and idiom such as, for example, the
avoidance of single-point perspective, the suppression of illusionistic
space by developing the sensation of forward projection of the depicted
space and objects, the application of simultaneity of views of the depicted
objects, and the dissolution of the junction of vertical and horizontal
planes such as that encountered where a table top meets an object or a
wall.
Another interesting aspect of Skov’s paintings in
general which this series of still-lifes also illustrates, is that with
practically each individual painting he presents a distinctly different
color harmony. It is therefore evident he enjoyed the challenge of new
color combinations, the experimentation with different contrasts, tints and
shades. His color schemes reflect his mood, the seasonal light, the motif;
and also demonstrates convincingly his coloristic creativity which runs
through his entire oeuvre. His
exceptional sense of color and inventiveness regarding color schemes, which
already was documented in many of his more than four hundred earlier
paintings from the prior twenty years, always remained vibrant.
The monochrome or quasi-monochrome colors
in some paintings from this period therefore signalize that he had
approached a particularly troublesome aesthetic problem of design or
composition that needed to be studied more carefully and deeply. Only after
solving the spatial-representational concern could he give free reign to
his color-intuition and enjoy more fully the coloristic opportunities and
challenges of the motif. In this context it is, of course, also important
to realize that many of Skov’s
paintings from this period, and particularly those that were created
during the cold season, were painted under conditions of diffused, low intensity
light which is typical of the overcast Danish winter skies.
Given the many
remarkable, pleasing and unique color schemes
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