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Quote by Gerhard Richter

“That was a piece I did in 1963 with Konrad Lueg in a department store, in the furniture department. It was announced in some papers as an exhibition opening, but the people who came didn't know that it was to be a sort of Happening. I don't think it is quite right that it has become so famous anyhow. It was just a lot of fun, and the word itself, Capitalist Realism, hit just right. But it wasn't such a big deal.”

Quote by Gerhard Richter

Book:Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007
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Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007 is a comprehensive compilation of the artist's written works over a significant period of his career. The book offers insights into Richter's evolving artistic philosophy, his approach to painting, and his reflections on the role of art in society. It is a valuable resource for those interested in the thoughts and ideas of one of the most influential contemporary artists. more

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Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter

German visual artist known for his unique painting style and diverse creative techniques. Richter's works span a wide range of styles from abstraction to figuration, and his career has spanned over half a century, profoundly influencing contemporary art. more

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“I originally came from Dresden, where Socialist Realism prevailed. Konrad Lueg and I came up with it, for the most part ironically, since I now live in capitalism. It was certainly 'realism', but in another form - the capitalist form, as it were. It wasn't meant that seriously. It was more a slogan for that particular Happening at a furniture store.”

ArtFormParticularHappeningsCapitalismStoresCapitalistRealismSocialistFurnitureSlogansDresden
Book:Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007
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“Art is the pure realization of religious feeling, capacity for faith, longing for God. ... The ability to believe is our outstanding quality, and only art adequately translates it into reality. But when we assuage our need for faith with an ideology we court disaster.”

NeedsBelieveArtFeelingsRealityReligiousAbilityQualityPureArt IsCapacityCourtLongingDisasterIdeologyRealizationTranslateOutstandingLonging For God
Book:Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007
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“As I see it, all of them - Tachists, Action Painters, Informel artists, and the rest - are only part of an Informel movement that covers a lot of other things as well. I think there's an Informel element in Beuys, as well; but it all began with Duchamp and chance, or with Mondrian, or with the Impressionists. The Informel is the opposite of the constructional quality of classicism - the age of kings, or clearly formed hierarchies.”

ThinkingWellsArtAgeActionArtistChanceQualityMovementKingsElementsOppositesPainterHierarchyImpressionistsClassicism
Book:Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007
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“A student researching into my work has actually traced the newspapers and magazines where I found theses images and has found out that many of them illustrate a collection of gruesome stories, murders and suicides which contrast with the images used. There is a contrast between the message carried by the text and that suppressed by the illustration.”

ArtStoriesUsedFoundStudentsMessagesMurderSuicideNewspapersMagazinesCollectionsContrastIllustrationThesisAtlas
Book:Gerhard Richter
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“But my motivation was more a matter of wanting to create order - to keep track of things. All those boxes full of photographs and sketches weigh you down, because they have something unfinished, incomplete, about them. So it's better to present the usable material in an orderly fashion and throw the other stuff away. That's how the Atlas came to be, and I exhibited it a few times.”

ArtMatterMotivationOrderStuffFashionMaterialsPhotographTrackBoxesIncompleteUnfinishedOrderlyAtlas
Author:Gerhard Richter
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