Albert Mertz

Upon his death on December 30th 1990, Mertz left behind an extensive production of gouaches, montages, collages and paintings, besides an important body of sketches, writings and notes. It has been a very special experience to discover this by all measures extraordinary oeuvre. In particular, the correspondence between Mertz’ production of works and his theoretical reflections have been enlightening. Combined, they have given an amazing insight into one of the great persons in Danish art. As minute and bashful as he was in stature, as important and inevitable he was, and is, in modern Danish art and – I maintain – international art.

Albert Mertz was a very productive artist. He started early – was admitted to the fine arts academy when only 16 years old – and until the very end of his life he stubbornly continued to investigate and challenge art. His artistic practice extended itself to all genres, media and forms. His attitude was that art was not restricted to any definite appearance, to any specific object, but rather that is was identical to the effect that it had on the spectator. Art must therefore always relate to the contemporary and dare to challenge it. It is well known that at an early stage he started to work with film. Later video and TV followed. He always managed to add something more – qualitatively as well as quantitatively. In that sense he was a generous artist. An artist+.



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Niels Erik Gjerdevik møder Albert Mertz, 2003

Review - Artforum 2008