Gerhard Richter - Life of Images Exhibition
An Amazing Exhibition
This week I visited a most amazing exhibition; Gerhard Richter (born 1932) who is one of my all time favs.
Richter is classed as one of the world’s greatest living artists.
The exhibition is at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane until 4 Feb 2018 and I’d highly recommend that you visit it.
Above: What looks like an out of focus photo is actually an oil painting on canvas.
Exquisitely blended in grayscale.
An occasional wayward brush bristle stuck on the canvas shows the hand of the master.
Above: over 100 photos by Richter line this part of the gallery.
One of the large oil on canvas artworks painted in grayscale of an overview of Paris.
Above: ‘Betty’. Oil in canvas. Richter painted from photos but blended edges to give a slightly out of focus appearance.
Above: These four works were paint sandwiched between glass which creates effects that can’t be ‘controlled’ by the artist.
Richter often experimented with these techniques over the years.
Above; The exhibition shows quite a few of Richter’s large multi layered abstracts. The depth of colour and tones are intriguing and although they are completely abstract, you can see glimpses of the real world peaking through the layers.
Above: close up of the previous abstract.
Above: another huge abstract with a close up of it below.
Above; Richter often uses luscious greys and whites throughout his work.
Emotionally Moving
These four large works below were inspired by photos from a Nazi concentration camp.
Covert photos were taken of naked women being lined up to go to the gas chamber.
Those original photos were smuggled out in used toothpaste tubes.
Richter began to paint these four works inspired by the photos but later change the paintings drastically.
I found these pieces deeply moving, even though the images had been completely obliterated. It was as if the artist was conveying that very thing; the oblieration if millions of innocent souls.
Above: close up.
Below: Gorgeous WallTapestries
Close up of the tapestry weave.
Above: Amazing tapestries! These were huge and I had to get up really close to check it wasn’t a painting.
Above: Moi with another fav.
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this little prelude and even if you’re not a big fan of abstract work I’m sure you will find many other painting and photos in the Gerhard Richter exhibit to enjoy.
His unique treatment of using oil paint on top of photos is quite interesting taking his photography to another level and his realism inspired works are truly beautiful.
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Thanks for reading and please share my post if you enjoyed it.
Ciao for now
Liv. X
