1926-1998 Erik Mortensen

[gius]

Does anyone have any more photos of Erik Mortensen's work?

I read about him through one of the threads here, but there were no pictures of his work. I was only able to find this bronze sculpture of an "octopus frock" he made on designerhistory.com.

 

[Royal-Galliano]

PARIS, FRANCE: Danish designer Erik Mortensen presents a gold lame evening dress with a matching, red satin-lined coat during the Jean-Louis Scherrer 1993/94 Fall-Winter haute couture collection 19 July 1993...

gettyimages

 

[The_Ida]

He's from my town. I know nothing about him, though.

 

[gius]

Thanks R-G for the photos
Here are some more I found. I'm not sure if it's up-to-date because I think it says 2005 on the website, and I heard he's passed away already

aleksandraskolen.dk
Click^ to see the photos and text


Actually, after hearing Erik Mortensen made that octopus frock, I was hoping he'd be a designer of a bit 'odd' clothing, but these samples here aren't really, I think. ^^;

 

[Hanne]

Does anyone have any more photos of Erik Mortensen's work?

I read about him through one of the threads here, but there were no pictures of his work. I was only able to find this bronze sculpture of an "octopus frock" he made on designerhistory.com.

I found some.. Erik Mortensen did not make the bronze sculpture Jens Galschiot did as a tribute to an octopus dress made by Erik Mortensen.

Text and pic from : http://www.aidoh.dk/sculptures/clothingart/octopusdress/dkoctopus-info.htm

Jens Galschiot’s tribute to the couturier Erik Mortensen unveiled as sculpture at the Dress Vocational School in Odense in October 1999. The school had got permission from Erik Mortensen and raised the necessary capital from local funds.
Erik Mortensen (1926-1998) had chosen the dress in question himself shortly before his death. It comes from his time by the fashion house Scherrer in Paris 1992/93. To transform a dress with pattern and embroidery into a sculpture is not that easy. Galschiot had to try several samples, before he was able to approve of the heavy bronze sculpture weighing 90 Kg. Two castings together with corrosions in the surface had to be made to make the pattern stand out as structure in the form. To make the transformation from an elegant haute couture dress to a dynamic and vivid sculpture succeed, Galschiot further more had to interpret a living person in the frames of the dress. The female shape was intensified and rounded, movement was put in through a sense of hang of the fabric in mobile folds in a light progressive posture.
The deep understanding and interpreting of the relationship between body, the form of the clothing, the play of the draping in the pattern and structure of the textile together with the person’s elegant way of moving Jens Galschiot shares with Erik Mortensen. The result has become a persisting hesitating ‘gracefullness’, who folds out itself in the big outer room where the sculpture all the time will change its character with the light and the changing of the weather.
To increase the mobile the sculpture is put on a great rock, which though its rough raising form transforms a strong undercurrent of raw energy from the foundation up to the bronze, so that it is almost experienced as a figurehead on a ship which roars forward through the sea. This impression is made stronger by the fact that the rock is already standing on a big place with stone flags, which are spread out beside and behind the sculpture. Furthermore the raw granite rock is known as a natural balancing of the cultural elegant beauty of the dress.

Picture of the octopus dress:

1992/1993
House of Scherrer

 

[Hanne]

Text and picture (unfortunately not dated ) www.artstamps.dk

Erik Mortensen (1926-1998). Danish haute couture designer, he was born in Frederikshavn, Jutland, and he died in Paris.
Mortensen was trained under the Danish couturier Holger Blom in Copenhagen
and began his international career in 1948 with Pierre Balmain,
two years later he became Balmain's right hand and took over the management of the firm after Pierre Balmain's death in 1982 and run the house until 1992, where he left the House of Balmain for the house of Jean-Louis Scherrer, which he managed until 1994.
In 1983 and 1987 Mortensen was awarded the French haute couture award "The Golden Thimble".

 

[Hanne]

picture www.artstamps.dk

 

[Hanne]

picture www.artstamps.dk

 

[Hanne]

picture www.artstamps.dk

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting

 

[birdofparadise]

OMG, those puff balls are so hot...

 

[zamb]

I never heard of him, but His work is interesting.
I will do some research on him.

those Puffball dresses in the third picture (post #7) loks similar to a dress Chalayan Made a couple of years ago.................
hhhmmm.......... Maybe Chalayan was inspired by these Dresses?

 

[gius]

thanks Hanne for providing more info there are a lot of interesting silhouettes.. everything's so voluminous

 

[Seductive]

Never heard of him, but I like what I see. I think his designes are over the top, which I truly admire.

 

[StyleIsInUs]

^Agree, and also thank you Hanne for those pictures. Now I'd like to find out more about this designer. Too bad he so underrated ... Most of people haven't heard of him.

 

[SomethingElse]

Here is the press release for the bronze homage to the Octopus Dress: http://www.aidoh.dk/sculptures/clothingart/octopusdress/ukoctopus-press00.htm

The Danish couturier Erik Mortensen is honoured by placing a bronze dress in front of the Dress Vocational School in Odense.

The sculpture is created by the sculptor Jens Galschiot who takes his starting point in Erik Mortensen’s famous Octopus Dress, which has its name after the pattern that is stretching out its tentacles all over the dress. The blue pattern is covered with thousands of spangles and baroque pearls on the simple white background.

The dress is now placed on the Dress Vocational School, where designer Elisa Steffensen is making copies so that Galschiot is able to experiment with the expression towards the final bronze sculpture.

The cooperation between Erik Mortensen and Jens Galschiot started back in 1990, where they first agreed to make a sculpture starting with one of Erik Mortensen’s creations. This cooperation, however, was never fulfilled because of Erik Mortensen’s break with Balmain.

It was the headmaster of the Dress Vocational School, Karen Majgård, who invited the two artists to resume their old cooperation and create a sculpture to the new school of the Dress Vocational School at the old glassworks in Odense.

Jens Galschiot visited Erik Mortensen in Paris shortly before Christmas 1997, where the more definite agreements were established. However, at that time Erik Mortensen was so marked by illness that the project was suspended for the time being. Shortly before his death Erik Mortensen managed to point out the Octopus Dress as the most beautiful for a bronze sculpture. Shortly before Christmas 1998 the dress arrived in Denmark through Erik Mortensen’s friend, Jean Pierre Michaud. It is lent by The House Jean-Louis Scherrer, Paris, where Erik Mortensen worked his last years.

By a persistent effort the chairman of the school, Merete Aarup, succeeded in providing 400,000 DKK, which were the costs of all the project. Local Funen funds like Thomas B. Thriges Fund, Bikubens Fund, Engineer N.M. Knudsens Fund and Nykredit Fund have contributed.

The sculpture is expected to be put up 18th-19th June 1999 on Brummer’s Place in Odense in front of the entrance of the Dress Vocational School, where it will be unveiled in connexion with the yearly fashion parade and final exhibition.

aidoh.dk

 

[Tinetush]

^Thanks for the info

I've never heard of him either - But I really like what I see

Though I can't help but think that the yellow dress in post #6 resembles the yellow Givenchy one from the s/s 07 haute couture show that Irina wore.. Well it's probably the other way around

 

[wild roses]

I've never heard of this designer, but I love all the photos of his work that are featured in here. It's very decadent and artsy! I would definitely love to see more.

 

[scrubb]

first time coming across erik mortensen too. can't wait to see more!