Lurking Monsters

"My work is kind of a salute to the misfits of the world," so says the Danish artist John Kenn Mortensen. His macabre images are of the type that parents find horrifying and that children adore, and as it turns out, the children are correct -- his original images and books have become highly prized by connoisseurs all over the world.

When I first saw his work I thought, "Is this Edward Gorey or a darker Maurice Sendak?" And indeed while the style of drawing is somewhat similar, there is also something completely new here. Amazingly, Mortensen's work was initially produced on "sticky notes," you know, Post-its! Most of the images here, and in his first book, are produced on sticky notes (although he now also uses more substantial paper too). Each work is a stand alone story, make of it what you will.

In 2009, Mortensen, who also uses the aliases "John Kenn" and "Don Kenn." started to document his drawings on a blog (Don Kenn Gallery), it is a fascinating record.

Of course, seeing this work, I wanted to know: Who is this person? Where does he live? How does he live? I remember how exciting it was to learn that Edward Gorey was quite the character. (In case you don't know, Edward Gorey was the fellow that produced those wonderful drawings that PBS started using in the 1980's for their Mystery series). My Michael (Michael Rebic) tells me stories of frequently running into Gorey at the NY Ballet--always wearing his trademark fur coat:

Edward Gorey in full regalia.

Edward Gorey drawing.

It was quite a disappointment to learn that Edward Gorey lived in a rather modest and ordinary house on Cape Cod (now a museum) during his final years. I was expecting something a bit more Adams Family:

The Edward Gorey House Museum

Mortensen, it turns out, lives in Copenhagen with his girlfriend and their twins. Their home is white-walls and minimalist, not a sinister thing in sight! (Although he does insist that he is a proud misfit.) For years he has worked as a writer and producer of children's television shows. His drawing is done in his spare time.