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Quote by Gerhard Richter

“It's that same quality I've been talking about. It's neither contrived, nor surprising and smart, not baffling, not witty, not interesting, not cynical, it can't be planned and it probably can't even be described. It's just good.”

Author

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

“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.”

Art Stories Used Found Students Messages Murder Suicide Newspapers Magazines Collections Contrast Illustration Thesis Atlas

Book:Gerhard Richter

Source: Gerhard Richter

“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.”

Art Matter Motivation Order Stuff Fashion Materials Photograph Track Boxes Incomplete Unfinished Orderly Atlas

Author:Gerhard Richter

“The Atlas belongs to the Lenbachhaus in Munich - it's long since ceased to belong to me. Occasionally I run across it somewhere, and I think it's interesting because it looks different each time.”

Thinking Looks Long Art Different Running Interesting Atlas Munich

Book:Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

Source: Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

“In the beginning I tried to accommodate everything there that was somewhere between art and garbage and that somehow seemed important to me and a pity to throw away. After a while, some sheets in the Atlas acquired another value, after all - that is, it seemed to me that they could stand on their own terms, not only under the protection of the Atlas.”