Karl Axel Pehrson

Karl-Axel Pherson (1921-2005)

Karl-Axel Pehrson was born in Örebro and up to his decease in the autumn of 2005 he continued to participate in exhibitions now and then. Pehrson´s early paintings are colourful and narrative, imaginative and inspired by Nature. During the 1940´ies he limited his colour-range and choice of motifs and explored simple themes such as ”Broken Vertical”, a series of vertical lines, whose slight angle gave an impression of depth. Later he introduced the lancet-form and diagonal movements. Pehrson executed monumental decorations in the spirit of Concretism. He also designed textile patterns for STOBO during the 1950´ies.

Pehrson participated with ”Dolphinian Movement” to ”Signed Textile”. The motif caught Astrid Sampe´s attention, when the painting that constituted the original of the pattern, was exhibited at ”Blanche” in the spring of 1954. She thought that it would be very well suited for transference to a textile pattern. The National Museum of Art had purchased the painting, but gave the artist permission to reproduce it on textile. The painting would then be transferred to a working sketch, which the Swedish textile designer Inez Svensson was asked to make repeats of at NK´s Textile Studio.

As a sign of recognition of the idea that the borders between decorative art and artistically designed utility goods sometimes are hard to define, the National Museum of Art later purchased a piece of the material as a counterpart to the painting. The simple, stylized dolphin bodies sweep over the material in geometrical forms. ”Dolphinian Movement” is the only pattern from ”Signed Textile” that has remained in production at Ljungberg´s since then – for 50 years! It is printed on robust furnishing cretonne of cotton/linen.