Asger Jorn

Born Asger Oluf Jørgensen in rural Denmark, Asger Jorn (1914–1973) was a prolific painter, sculptor, ceramic artist, and author whose rebellious spirit shaped much of 20th-century avant-garde art. His early life was marked by a strict Christian upbringing, which he progressively rebelled against, and a battle with tuberculosis at age 15. After training as a teacher and becoming involved with the Communist Party, Jorn traveled to Paris in 1936, intending to study with Kandins…