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Karl Monies is a renowned Danish artist known for his unique approach to ceramics and mixed media artworks.
Karl recently took over as creative director of the iconic avant-garde jewelry brand, Monies, which his parents, Gerda and Nikolai, founded back in 1973.
Karl’s own work work often incorporates hand-formed stoneware vessels adorned with materials such as cork and rope. Monies’ process is deeply intuitive and inspired by a wide array of historical and cultural references, particularly focusing on objects like bottles, urns, and vases from various cultures and eras.
Monies’ career in art began in 2005 when he apprenticed with the Danish artist Tal R. He later studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam and the Slade School of Fine Art in London. His artistic journey also took him to Guangzhou, China, which he credits with freeing him from the constraints of Western art history.
Currently based in Copenhagen, Monies has exhibited his works in various solo and group exhibitions, and his pieces are known for their tactile qualities and conceptual depth. Notably, his artworks often reflect personal themes, such as his experience with his pregnant partner, which influenced his use of the vessel and rope motifs.
Photo: Oscar Meyer
Interview set up by SVPR.
Hi Karl, It’s a pleasure to sit down with you. First question that I always ask. How does a regular day look like for you in Copenhagen?
I get up at 6, get my kids ready for school, kindergarten and nursery, drop them off and then go to the monies workshop. The production team and I might have a meeting about the current projects, how to proceed and what to do next.
The whole company always eats lunch together which I find a great way to touch base on what happens to people individually. Then I might design, work on the machines, meetings, mails- you know the drill.
Pick up kids, come home, eat dinner, tug them in. After they sleep I sometimes go to my other studio to work on some ceramic, metal or fabric works.
I’m curious, growing up, what kind of kid were you? What did you enjoy doing, and how did you spend your time?
I’m a city kid, but I credit my love for nature to this quite special forest kindergarten I went to outside copenhagen. I’ve always had a hard time belonging to any one group growing up. I moved schools a few times and had the chance to kind of reinvent myself in different ways, tried everything when it comes to hobbies and sports but always ended up in the solo department somehow. Running, Martial Arts, Dj’ing
When did you first start showing an interest in design? And what’s the earliest memory you have of creating something?
It was quite late when i realized that i came from a creative family, pretty much my whole family is creative and self employed in some way so it’s not something we put anything into really, it was just the water I swam in I guess. The earliest memory is probably at my grandma’s atelier sitting and drawing and gluing stuff together.
Your parents Gerda and Nikolai Monies, founded their iconic eponymous brand, Monies, back in 1973. Growing up with two creatives as parents. How have they influenced you growing up and through your late teens?
I would assume that any kid ultimately tries to escape their parents’ domain to explore and find themselves. I did that through music and art. My childhood was very free and almost borderless and I think this gave me the chance to define them for myself which I really appreciate looking back now. Their spontaneity and willingness to take chances rubbed off on me and my brother in ways which made us a little more daring and a little less worried I’m sure.
Alright, I will get back to Monies a little later. First I wanna ask you these next couple of questions while we’re going back in time, and please correct me if I fuck up the timeline. So.. I know that from early on, you wanted to become a photographer. And during this time you end up working as an assistant for another renowned fellow Danish artist, Tal R. How did that come about?
This is one of those complete flukes that I actually often think about. I don’t believe in chance, but I think about it because I believe that every moment is a defining one. I was on a bike with a friend at an intersection and we met a girl he knew. She was working for Tal. A few months later I met that same girl by that same intersection. This time she had a job for me. Tal was a great role model from the beginning. As an artist and as a man. We ended up working together for 3 years.
And then around 3 years later you apply for Slade School of Fine Art in London, where you earn a BFA in painting. What was your experience in London like? What are some of your fondest and worst memories from there?
I had a detour through Amsterdam where I studied for 1 year at Rietveld, but it was too much like Cph and London had this grandiosity about it. The multinationality spoke to me. I thought it was tough in the beginning. It’s a cold city to feel alone in, but one day it clicked and I realized that no one really comes from London, and that we were kinda all in this together. That there’s actually so much affection and care in London if you’re open to it.
From my research it seems that you return to Copenhagen around 5 years later. What was it like returning to your hometown after so many years abroad?
Actually it was 10 years. From London I had a few trips to study abroad in Guangzhou, China in 2011 and Bangkok, Thailand 2014. 6 months each place. Then 2 years in Berlin before returning home. And I was actually expecting to really hit the wall coming back. It was a logical decision to return, we just had our oldest son in berlin and it was kinda in the cards for years before. But the wall never came, the kid that I was when I left had grown up in a way. But more to the point, the city had changed so much. The Copenhagen I left in 2008 was not the one I returned to in 2018.
Seeing that you pursued a career in painting instead of jewelry design, did your parents have anything to say about that?
In no way. It was never expected that i would follow their footsteps. They’ve always been so supportive and very good at suppressing and hiding their worries which I’m sure they had, all parents have im sure.
Alright, and then at some point you start making clay sculptures. How did you get introduced to ceramics? And what makes ceramics your preferred medium of expressing yourself?
Also one of those flukes. Got kicked out of my studio in Berlin and found my way to BBK’s ceramic studio. It was a simple yet obvious decision for me to deal with a container. I usually try to make objects that have the ability to mirror anyone and everyone. Almost every culture throughout history has been using clay in some form and so it’s very relatable, almost omnipresent culturally.
I wouldn’t say it’s my preferred medium though. It’s just what gained the most interest but materials in the studio are like ingredients in the kitchen. They have to be mixed and you have to eat a balanced diet otherwise you’ll get sick.
While we’re on the topic… You’ve become an established artist yourself. What’s the story behind your signature designs with incorporated rope?
The combination between clay and rope is for me a great contrast in time, practicality and visually as well. Which makes them kinda timeless for me, like hard to place within art history perspective which I really like.
Can you walk me through your creative process, from beginning to end result?
I try to follow, if possible, a few simple steps. First the research into a subject or area, then the architect phase of shaping and planning, and then the builder/production phase at the end. Each step has multiple forks and I try not to control the outcome. Intuition is key here.
Can you also tell me about your use of symbolism?
No. not really (laughs)
How do you deal with creative blocks?
Don’t have them tbh. I guess I work my way out of them before I stop to notice them, if they are there at all. Consider myself very lucky like that.
Can you describe your studio practice for me? And are there any necessities you have to have with you or present in the studio?
Depends what i’m working on. The surroundings define the practice but you can’t cook without food. As long as there’s food, ill cook.
How do you approach color?
Like cooking, hahah. Sometimes I take breaks from colors to get my game together. Hunger is the best cook, right!? No, analogies aside I embrace color and love to work with them. Nature rules in this sense, nothing compares.
Alright, back to Monies now, in present time. More than 50 years after your parents started the company, you’ve taken over as creative director. That’s a lot of rich history. How have your parents prepared you for this new level of responsibility? And what kind of advice have they given you?
They haven’t, and shouldn’t. Monies is a company based on creative play and nature’s way. If they have taught me one thing, it is what I have learned from looking at how they worked with not just their head or their hand, but their hearts, their gut, their backbones and their intuition. They have run their company like they have raised me and my brother. So in many ways it’s an attitude and a way of seeing the world and the people in it.
Do you feel any added pressure or nervousness about it?
Does it come across as arrogant if I say no? I do, like most people, doubt myself and probably too much as well, but when it comes to Monies, I’m pretty confident that this company should be run by and artist and not a salesman.
Seeing that Monies is 51-years-old, the brand is still a leading player within all aspects of jewelry design. What’s your take on how it has managed to stay relevant?
The simple answer would be to conclude how it didn’t try to compete with anyone but just stayed true to what was interesting. I know my mom would probably say that it’s all about having fun and playing and that’s true too. But what the fuck is tendencies and trends and pleasing the market when the market often never knows what it wants. The true players in my book are the ones that never look to the side and who’s doing what. Of course we gotta look back, history is important so we don’t repeat ourselves, but the ones who dig deep into what they love are always gonna come out on top. And then it’s not about the pace. Slow and steady wins the race.
So how will your vision of running things be, compared to how your parents did? Will you be making any changes or add any noticeable differences?
Monies’ DNA will always remain because it’s a 4 billion year old song, but it is inevitable for me not to do it my way. On a productional level we’ve just started our sustainability journey and I’ve cut all virgin plastic use. I really want to focus on making quality over quantity. Also we’ve updated the infrastructure and production planning quite a bit. The whole company has more structure now and is more robust.
Since day one Monies has been ahead of its time, using various different materials such as bone, horn, amber, and stones. Some as old as 12 million and 40 million years old. Can you tell me about your process of sourcing those materials?
The contacts and suppliers we have, we have been working with for ages. We meet them at various fairs and sometimes locally. We try to travel to a new place once a year to find new sources.
With that in mind. What’s your future vision for Monies?
My dream is not to make it into a household name. I don’t want to be on every highstreet or airport. I’ll never compromise or dilute the brand. What I want is for it to stand for craftsmanship, nature, quality and authenticity. I want it to be this rare unpolished stone that you find on the beach or that friend you have who is a famous producer in a country you’ve never heard of. I want it to be an explorer’s wet dream to come across Monies and think ‘how did I never know about this?’ The best kept secret.
What’s it like being an artist yourself, while also being the creative director of Monies? And how do you separate the two?
It’s really nice actually, I love having these two worlds to roam in and I do find them to be quite different to be honest. Also It’s such a privilege to have these spaces to delve into and they do feed off each other and i dont think I’ll ever let any of them go. It feels like one of them is always charging when I’m not present. To answer your second question- With a very sharp line. And I think it needs to be like that, for me at least.
In one of your other interviews you talk about separating yourself from materiality and jewelry, and just deal with images and composition. Do you still feel that way?
Sure. of course there’s a practical side to everything but at its essence it is that, and a way for me to simplify it.
What motivates you?
Invested people, people who burn for what they do. I love being around professionals who have an objective. This definitely motivates and turns me on.
And also I think I’m just curious about nature. About the process, not the product. About how things can or could work.
How would you describe a perfect day?
No. Because if i could it wouldn’t be perfect. For me the perfect is in the imperfect, the unforeseen, the irregular and the obstacle, the little spontaneous choreography we do when facing someone on the sidewalk and both walk to the same side. I want to be surprised and shocked. Give me predictability and I’ll fall asleep.
So in many ways most days are close to perfect.
In a parallel universe who would you be? and what would you be doing?
I would be a Japanese biologist named Tenko.
Can you tell me a story about a time when a connection with someone had a big impact on you?
I once met a dude when attending some classes by Daniel Richter at Vienna Academy. We met in class and didn’t immediately click but I ended up crashing on his couch. We hung out for a few days, got familiar with each other, got drunk together, worked in silence, laughed and had a blast together.
We were young and got quite close quite quickly. When I tell this story I still wonder how, but when I was about to leave we both realized that we had never exchanged names. Something that seems so essential in getting to know someone. Still dont know his name… but never forgot him, and this is probably why. I’ve since thought about the immediacy and confidence of youth. Happy days of bliss and ignorance.
What qualities do you find most important in the people you choose to spend time with?
Honesty, openness and sincerity.
Alright Karl. I always ask these two questions at the end of an interview. The first is. What’s your favorite movie(s) and why?
Uhh the list is long and there are multiple reasons. I’ll make it simple for the readers and myself. Alexandro Jodorowsky’s ‘The Holy Mountain’ – Because of its completely original execution, its unprecedented cinematography and because Jodorowsky is a anti establishment genius.
The second is. What song(s) are you currently listening to the most right now?
I just took up listening to Antony and the johnsons again. The ‘I am a bird now’ album.. Goosebump happy hour.