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Quote by Gerhard Richter

“Nature/Structure. There is no more to say. In my pictures I reduce to that. But 'reduce' is the wrong word, because these are not simplifications. I can't verbalize what I am working on: to me, it is many-layered by definition; it is what is more important, what is more true.”

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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“Illusion - or rather appearance, semblance - is the theme of my life (could be theme of speech welcoming freshmen to the Academy). All that is, seems, and is visible to us because we perceive it by the reflected light of semblance. Nothing else is visible.”

Art Light Seems Painting Speech Illusion Appearance Welcome Perceive Theme Visible Academy Freshman Semblance

Book:Gerhard Richter: text : writings, interviews and letters, 1961-2007

Source: Gerhard Richter: text : writings, interviews and letters, 1961-2007

“Cage is much more disciplined. He made chance a method and used it in constructive ways; I never did that. Everything here is a little more chaotic.”

Way Littles Art Made Used Chance Painting Method Cages Constructive Chaotic

Book:Gerhard Richter: text : writings, interviews and letters, 1961-2007

Source: Gerhard Richter: text : writings, interviews and letters, 1961-2007

“The urge to break with a tradition is only appropriate when you're dealing with an outdated, troublesome tradition: I never really thought about that because I take the old-fashioned approach of equating tradition with value (which may be a failing). But whatever the case, positive tradition can also provoke opposition if it's too powerful, too overwhelming, too demanding. That would basically be about the human side of wanting to hold your own.”

Source: Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

“I didn't actually know what the protesters in the West really wanted. It was fantastic here, so much freedom, and that was what they were calling musty, middle-class, and fascistic, a bleak period. Bleak was what the GDR was, and it alone had adopted, almost unchanged, Nazi Germany's methods of intimidation and ideas about propaganda and the use of force.”

Knows Art Ideas Use Wanted Force Class Middle Painting Periods Calling Method West Fantastic Propaganda Germany Middle Class Nazi Adopted Intimidation Bleak Nazi Germany Use Of Force

Author:Gerhard Richter

“There is nothing better than to make it to the College World Series. All of the extra reps in the weight room, all of the early morning practices, and all the hard work spent the entire year makes it worth it.”

World Years Hard Rooms Practice Morning College Hard Work Weight Series Extras Worth It Early Morning World Series Weight Room

Author:Jennie Finch

“I believe that you always have to believe. It's the only way; after all we both believe that we will do this exhibition. But I can't believe in God, as such, he's either too big or too small for me, and always incomprehensible, unbelievable.”

Way Believe Art I Can Bigs I Believe Painting Believe In God Unbelievable Exhibitions

Author:Gerhard Richter

“I think everybody starts out by seeing a few works of art and wanting to do something like them. You want to understand what you see, what is there, and you try to make a picture out of it. Later you realize that you can't represent reality at all - that what you make represents nothing but itself, and therefore is itself reality.”

Thinking Want Trying Art Reality Realizing Seeing Painting Works Of Art

Book:Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

Source: Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

“But I would like to reach the point where I could cut up an illustrated magazine at random and see to it that the parts would each become a painting. I cannot properly explain it right now. Already now I am searching for the most boring and irrelevant photo material that I can find. And I would like to get to the point soon where this determined irrelevance could be retained, in favor of something that would be covered up otherwise by artifice.”

I Can Would Be Cutting Painting Materials Right Now Photography Boring Determined Favors Magazines Covered Irrelevant Artifice Irrelevance Covered Up

Author:Gerhard Richter

“The photograph is the most perfect picture. It does not change; it is absolute, and therefore autonomous, unconditional, devoid of style. Both in its way of informing, and in what it informs of, it is my source.”

Way Doe Perfect Style Source Photography Absolutes Photograph Unconditional Autonomous Informing

Author:Gerhard Richter

“Suddenly, I saw it in a new way, as a picture that offered me a new view, free of all the conventional criteria I had always associated with art. It had no style, no composition, no judgment. It freed me from personal experience. For the first time, there was nothing to it: it was pure picture. That's why I wanted to have it, to show it - not use it as a means to painting but use painting as a means to photography.”

Way Firsts Mean Art Use Shows Wanted Views Saws Style Painting Pure Judgment Photography First Time Conventional New Ways Composition Criteria Personal Experiences

Book:Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007

Source: Gerhard Richter: writings 1961-2007