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Quote by Gerhard Richter

“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.”

Quote by Gerhard Richter

Book:Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

Work

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

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

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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.”

Needs Believe Art Feelings Reality Religious Ability Quality Pure Art Is Capacity Court Longing Disaster Ideology Realization Translate Outstanding Longing For God

Book:Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

Source: Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

“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.”

Thinking Wells Art Age Action Artist Chance Quality Movement Kings Elements Opposites Painter Hierarchy Impressionists Classicism

Book:Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

Source: Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

“Maybe we didn't even have a chance. The message of American Pop Art was so powerful and so optimistic. But it was also very limited, and that led us to believe that we could somehow distance ourselves from it and communicate a different intention.”

Believe Art Different Chance Powerful Messages Distance Intention Communicate Pops Optimistic Pop Art

Author:Gerhard Richter

“It was not possible for us to produce the same optimism and the same kind of humour or irony. Actually, it was not irony. Lichtenstein is not ironic but he does have a special kind of humour. That's how I could describe it: humour and optimism. For Polke and me, everything was more fragmented. But how it was broken up is hard to describe.”

Kind Doe Art Hard Special Produce Humour Broken Optimism Irony Ironic Fragmented Broken Up

Author:Gerhard Richter

“I'm never really sure what that word means, but however inaccurately I use it, 'classical' was always my ideal, as long as I can remember, and something of that has always stayed with me, to this day. Of course, there were difficulties, because in comparison to my ideal, I didn't even come close.”

Mean Long Art I Can Use Remember Courses Ideals Difficulty Comparison This Day

Author: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.”

Art Interesting Quality Talking Smart Witty Cynical Surprising Good Art

Author:Gerhard Richter

“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.”

Art Important Values Term Protection Pity Sheets Garbage Accommodate Atlas

Book:Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

Source: Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007