In Düsseldorf in the years following the construction of the Berlin Wall, Gerhard Richter and Sigmar Polke finished their art studies at the Kunstakademie. They bring their frustration within a society that fails to find its way between capitalism and communism. Both are exiled from the Deutsche Demokratische Republik : Polke moved to the West in 1953 at the age of 12, Richter in 1961 at 29.
The influence of Joseph Beuys, professor since 1961 at the Kunstakademie, is preponderant : young artists may and must create some resolutely new forms of art. Richter and Polke cut out in the magazines the photos which display at their best the social banality. With other students they create in 1963 the movement Kapitalistischer Realismus regrouping the protesting painters.
The young artists create paintings where the form is generated by printing dots leaving unambiguous their inspiration from the magazines. Unlike Lichtenstein on the other side of the Atlantic, they nevertheless take liberties with the structure of this pattern.
Richter has an anti-militarist sensibility. Düsenjäger, oil on canvas 130 x 200 cm painted in 1963, was sold for $ 25.6M including premium by Phillips on November 16, 2016.
Polke is studying the consumerist society with its advertisements and posters offering promises to which disadvantaged families will not have access. On May 17 in New York, Christie 's sells at lot 15 B Frau mit Butterbrot, casein, household lacquer and oil on canvas 160 x 140 cm painted in 1964.
That young 'new woman' far larger than life is superbly stereotyped with a perfect hairstyle, hand and teeth. She raises to her mouth the buttered bread with an expression of intense pleasure as exaggerated as if she was playing for a commercial advertisement. Depending on his degree of frustration, the viewer can judge whether she wants to share her desire or to keep it selfishly.
SOLD for $ 17M including premium
The influence of Joseph Beuys, professor since 1961 at the Kunstakademie, is preponderant : young artists may and must create some resolutely new forms of art. Richter and Polke cut out in the magazines the photos which display at their best the social banality. With other students they create in 1963 the movement Kapitalistischer Realismus regrouping the protesting painters.
The young artists create paintings where the form is generated by printing dots leaving unambiguous their inspiration from the magazines. Unlike Lichtenstein on the other side of the Atlantic, they nevertheless take liberties with the structure of this pattern.
Richter has an anti-militarist sensibility. Düsenjäger, oil on canvas 130 x 200 cm painted in 1963, was sold for $ 25.6M including premium by Phillips on November 16, 2016.
Polke is studying the consumerist society with its advertisements and posters offering promises to which disadvantaged families will not have access. On May 17 in New York, Christie 's sells at lot 15 B Frau mit Butterbrot, casein, household lacquer and oil on canvas 160 x 140 cm painted in 1964.
That young 'new woman' far larger than life is superbly stereotyped with a perfect hairstyle, hand and teeth. She raises to her mouth the buttered bread with an expression of intense pleasure as exaggerated as if she was playing for a commercial advertisement. Depending on his degree of frustration, the viewer can judge whether she wants to share her desire or to keep it selfishly.
SOLD for $ 17M including premium
The Spiegels kids are selling this Polke @ChristiesInc in May as part of $100m estate. Should do well, no? pic.twitter.com/oJAgdiXtDp
— Art Market Monitor (@artmarket) April 1, 2017
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