Early Life and Artistic Training
Helge Bertram was born in Aalborg, Denmark, on August 7, 1919. Before finding his way into the studio, his hands were accustomed to the practicalities of construction. Following his schooling, he underwent training as a construction master, a period of study that preceded his formal entry into the fine arts.
His transition to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen marked a shift in his focus. From 1939 to 1945, he worked under the guidance of Aksel Jørgensen, focusing his efforts on the study of painting. This long period of instruction provided the foundation for his later work as a painter and graphic artist.
In 1945, his interests expanded toward the physical weight of form. He spent a year studying sculpture under Einar Utzon-Frank, concluding his time at the Academy in 1946. This sequence of training—moving from the structural logic of construction to the nuances of painting and the three-dimensional demands of sculpture—shaped the versatile nature of his later practice.
Artistic Style and Techniques
Helge Bertram’s practice was defined by a restless movement between different materials. While he is often associated with painting, his hands were equally accustomed to the tactile demands of ceramics and sculpture. He did not settle into a single medium, instead using his time to experiment with the physical properties of clay and the precision of graphic arts. This curiosity extended to photography, which he used to capture specific moments and perspectives, often as part of a larger cycle of works.
His paintings lean toward the abstract, focusing on the internal logic of form and composition rather than the depiction of recognizable subjects. This interest in structure is most evident in his series Spillets Regler, a collection of 14 paintings that explores the underlying patterns of his visual language. In these works, the focus shifts away from the external world and toward the mechanics of the image itself. He approached the canvas with a similar investigative spirit to his work in other media, treating each surface as a space for testing how shapes and lines interact.
The way he worked suggests a preoccupation with the process of creation. Whether he was shaping a ceramic piece or developing a photograph, there was a consistent interest in how a material responds to the artist's touch. This experimental approach allowed him to move fluidly between the two-dimensional plane of a painting and the three-dimensional presence of a sculpture or a mosaic.
Academic Career and Teaching
His presence at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts was marked by a long-term commitment to the institution's structure and its students. In 1964, he began working there as a lecturer, a role that coincided with his founding of the Kunstakademiets Kunstpædagogiske Skole. This school emerged from his own interests in the way art is taught and understood. He held a professorship at the Academy from 1971 until 1988, a period that saw him move into the role of rector between 1980 and 1985.
In the studios and classrooms, he guided a specific group of emerging artists. His influence can be seen in the work of those he taught, including Torben Christensen, Uffe Christoffersen, Berit Heggenhougen-Jensen, Annelise Kalbak, and Hanne Mailand. He focused on the practicalities of the creative process, moving through the academic ranks while maintaining a steady connection to the pedagogical side of the Academy.
Public Commissions and Works
His work often moved beyond the canvas and into the physical spaces of the city. In Holstebro, he left a permanent mark through several large-scale projects. He created the fountain sculpture Vandkunsten on Nørregade. This piece sits within the urban landscape, a fixed part of the street's character. Between 1969 and 1972, he turned his attention to the local swimming hall, where he provided decorative elements for the interior.
The city's pedestrian areas also became a site for his tactile work. From 1972 to 1975, he worked on Strøget in Holstebro, contributing a street mosaic to the walking path. These projects required a shift from the private studio to the public square, dealing with the durability of stone and tile. His contributions to the civic fabric were recognized in 1973 when he received the Eckersberg Medal.
