The Flux of Change

A house painter’s apprentice in Denmark finds a way to capture the unpredictable. The early years of Knud Merrild are defined by the physical labor of brushes and enamels, a trade that would later provide the very tools for his most radical experiments. After training at the Art and Technical School in Stege and the Arts and Crafts School in Copenhagen, he moves through the avant-garde circles of the Klingen magazine, finding common ground with figures like Vilhelm Lundstrøm.

The year 1921 marks a shift. He leaves Denmark for the United States. The landscape changes from the familiar shores of Jutland to the rugged terrain of Taos, New Mexico, where he lives alongside D. H. and Frieda Lawrence between 1922 and 1923. This period of wandering brings him into contact with a different kind of intensity. He eventually settles in Los Angeles, a city that becomes his base for nearly three decades.

Geometry and Assemblage

The work begins to take shape through rigid lines and structured planes. In the 1920s, his aesthetic leans toward a Cubist style influenced by Art Deco. He moves into the geometric vein, creating pieces like Composition of 4’s, where overlapping shapes and repeated lines suggest the influence of the Bauhaus. There is a heavy focus on the balance of light and dark, often reflecting the Taoist principles of Yin and Yang.

By 1930, the canvas expands into three dimensions. He begins constructing assemblages and collages, utilizing carved wood, painted metal, and attached fixtures. These works, such as Aesthetic Function in Space, use deep greens, mustards, and browns to create a sense of rhythm and depth. His approach mirrors the Constructivist experiments of his era, treating space itself as a medium to be penetrated by angles and planes.

The Invention of Flux

In 1942, the search for a way to represent constant change reaches its peak. He develops flux painting. This technique rejects traditional control. He pours paint onto moistened canvases, using house painters’ tools to manipulate the liquid. The result is a marbled effect born from the wavy undulations of oil on water. It is a method of embracing accident.

The technique finds its roots in the philosophies of Heraclitus and Lao Tse, focusing on the fluidity of organic forms like tree bark or skin. While some compare these spontaneous effects to the drip paintings of Jackson Pollock, Merrild’s method remains distinct in its use of gravitational flow and enamel. His later years see him returning to Denmark, where he dies in Copenhagen in 1954.

• Key Techniques: Flux painting, assemblage, collage, relief construction, mixed media, ceramics.
• Notable Works: Flux Flower, American Beauty (The Movie Star), Veritas, Primaries.
• Major Collections: Museum of Modern Art (New York), Art Institute of Chicago, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Los Angeles County Museum.