Audio file 107-2

[recording corrupted]

Wonga speaks of seeing Leon Underwood's work in South Africa, which was Cubist in style; he mentions Ernest also working partially representationally with "Faith" (1936)

Underwood was commissioned to carve a Madonna and Child for the Anglican Church and the church replaced Underwood's work with Ernest's "African Madonna" (1929)

Ernest's first sculptures can be said to be social-realistic in style. This changed with "Faith" (1936) which he carved after reading Paul Guillaume's and Thomas Munro's "Primitive Negro Sculptures" (1929)

Wonga asks if Bille's paintings were the first time Ernest saw non-representational painting; Wonga wonders about Ernest's and Ejler Bille's conversation at that time, and Ernest explains that both he and Bille were looking for new ways of looking; they speak about Bille's openness

Ernest met Ejler Bille in late 1938 or early 1939 when he first arrived in Paris.

[tape stopped and restarted] Ernest recalled his art professors at the L'École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs seeing art from Western position; they speak of relative conservatism in art in Denmark and France

Ernest studied at L'École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris until his internment during World War II

Ernest speaks of the independence of Henry Heerup; Ernest speaks of Else Alfelt

Wonga brings them back to Paris and asks if there were other Danes besides Sonja, Bille, Christian Poulsen, but Ernest says he did not meet any others in Paris then (Wonga checks about Mortensen)

Ernest first met Christian Poulsen at L'École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs. Poulsen introduced him to Bille who introduced him to Ferlov.

In audio file 31-1, Ernest also speaks of meeting Egill Jacobsen during Paris visit

Wonga recaps what Bille and Sonja said to Ernest about Danish modern art history (followed the Surrealists, read Cahiers d'Art, founding their own Linien association - mentions Vilhelm Bjerke-Petersen)

Cahiers d'Art was an art journal writing of art of the day

Wonga speaks of Western artistic heritage (mentions Impressionists, Expressionists, Romantics - Victor Hugo, Dada); Wonga continues about the art academia contributing to Western colonial order and generational revolt against the academy

Wonga speaks of the chance that let Ernest and Bille meet, and of Ernest and Sonja meeting (mentions Carl Kjersmeier)

[tape stopped and restarted] Wonga speaks of European artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin searching outside of Europe; Wonga on Bille, Arthur Rimbaud

they return to the academy being an agent of Western domination

the "academy" refers to the esteemed art institutions which comprise not just of the art schools but also the museums and network of art historians

[tape ends]