Gerhard Richter- Abstract Painting (946-4), 2016. Oil on canvas
Gerhard Richter, one of the most famous artists of our time, has lived in Cologne since 1984. It’s there that Museum Ludwig currently presents his new paintings. 26 abstract paintings are exhibited, all created in the past year. Some of my favourites are below.
Gerhard Richter- Abstract Painting (943-1), 2016. Oil on canvas
Gerhard Richter- Abstract Painting (944-10), 2016. Oil on canvas
Gerhard Richter- Abstract Painting (946-3), 2016. Oil on canvas
Gerhard Richter- Abstract Painting (946-5), 2016. Oil on canvas
Gerhard Richter- Abstract Painting (947-1), 2016. Oil on canvas
Gerhard Richter- Abstract Painting (947-8), 2016. Oil on canvas
Gerhard Richter- Abstract Painting (939-7), 2015. Oil on canvas
Exhibition view Gerhard Richter New Paintings Museum Ludwig
The museum asked the master himself to select some of his older works from their collection to contextualise the surprisingly bright colourful new compositions. These works are shown in a dense showcase adjacent to the exhibition.
Gerhard Richter- Ema, Nude on a Staircase, 1966. Oil on canvas
Gerhard Richter- Betty, 1977. Oil on canvas
Gerhard Richter’s first wife, Ema, with whom he moved from the GDR to West Germany, posed for a photograph, appearing naked on the stairs in his Düsseldorf studio in 1966. With ‘Ema’, the artist painted one of his first works based on one of his own colour photographs that would become an icon in his oeuvre. Ema is at that time pregnant with their daughter Babette who was born 6 months later. Babette is depicted 10 years later on the painting ‘Betty’.
Gerhard Richter- War, 1981. Oil on canvas
The paining above, ‘War’, belongs to a series of abstract paintings that Gerhard Richter painted in preparation of his contribution to Documenta 7 in 1982. It’s one of his first monumental abstract works.
One can only conclude that Richter, at age 85, relentlessly continues his investigation in the presentation of reality and continues to be fascinated by the use of chance in the creation of his works.
On view in Museum Ludwig till May 1st 2017.
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