Gerhard Richter
Kerze, 1982
Oil on canvas, 83 x 62.2cm
On loan from a private collection (Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014).
Sigmar Polke
Untitled, 1983
Acrylic, artificial resin, lacquer and dispersion Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014.
Two giants of painting, Gerhard Richter (born 1932) and Sigmar Polke (1941-2010) will be celebrated at Christie’s in London over the coming months. Polke/Richter-Richter/Polke brings together 65 works from 30 collections to create the artists’ first joint show in almost 50 years. Their show at Gallerie h in Hanover in 1966 has assumed legendary status. This was a declaration of their intention to resurrect painting by deconstructing it and opening up new possibilities.
Francis Outred, Christie’s Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art, Europe, says: “Richter and Polke are the dynamic duo of German painting in the past 50 years. They became friends in the early ’60s, seeking to reinvent painting by deconstructing it, mixing all the pieces together and putting it back together again to open up new possibilities, as witnessed in their landmark 1966 two-man show, Richter/Polke. We take this 1966 exhibition as a starting point for charting their work in the ensuing decades. While their friendship waned and they developed in different directions – Richter stayed close to home in Cologne, Polke wandered the world – both remained true to their shared belief in painting as an essential medium. Despite their divergent paths, their art and ideas overlap in interesting ways. ”
The exhibition will be at Christie’s Mayfair, 103 New Bond St. from April 25 to July 7.