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Familie am Meer (Family at the Sea)
‘IT'S ALMOST LIKE SEEING AN EXHIBITION BY TEN DIFFERENT ARTISTS'
an for all seasons
Neil Cooper gets the lowdown on a major new exhibition of work by the man considered by some to be the greatest German artist of the post World War II era
hen Sonic Youth toured their 1988 Daydream
Nation album in 2007 on the back of the
same year’s two-(‘1) deluxe edition of what had originally been the New York art rock pioneers' final independent release. the original LP cover art was probably the last thing on the minds of anyone watching. Yet. (ierhard Richter's l983 and I982 ’Ker/e' ('(‘andle'i paintings. which adorned both sides of the sleeve. was a crucial part of Daydream Nation's original package. Iiffectively one work of art wrapped round another. it was an unmistakany explicit statement on the seriousness of both parties.
The major retrospective that is Ger/turd Rie/iter: Paintingsirrmt l’rivuie ('nlleetiuns. which the I982 ‘Ker/e’ forms part of. is equally serious. lirom pop art beginnings. Richter has moved from photo—realism to
abstraction and back again. embracing all facets of painting as a creative form when the rise of
conceptualism declared that painting was dead.
Despite the ficklenesses of fashion. German-born Richter determinedly stuck to his guns. Today. with a back-catalogue covering all stylistic bases. this first major UK show since I991. drawn frotn the Frieder Burda and other private collections. opens the door on an artist often hailed as the greatest painter alive.
‘It's almost like seeing an exhibition by ten different artists.’ notes Keith Hartley. chief curator and deputy director of the National Galleries of Scotland. ‘There are line representations of his early 1960s work right through his colourful 1980s abstractions. as well as work from the I‘Nlls and some late figurative work based on Richter‘s own photographs. There are also
some very recent abstract works from the last couple of
years. People have been saying painting is dead ever since photography started. but Richter will explore every possibility of how he might do things. and there are conceptual elements in his work. He has been a shot in the arm for painters. because he shows that painting can still be a powerful force.‘
Richter’s influence could be seen recently at Dundee (‘ontemporary Arts. whose Altered States Of Paint group show reinvigorated painting even as it drew from the dark side of I9()()S pop culture. Such a link went beyond the work itself. One of the artists taking part in Altered States was Jutta Koether. a long-term associate of Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon. who provided sleeve- notes for the I993 re—issue of the aforementioned Richter-adorned Dttvtlream Nation album.
More recently. Richter produced a stained-glass collage for Cologne Cathedral. While Hartley points out that Richter will never stand still in terms of form. his commitment to painting is unswerving. As Richter wrote as far back as 1973: ‘One has to believe in what one is doing. one has to commit oneself inwardly. in order to do painting. ()nce obsessed. one ultimately carries it to the point of believing that one might change human beings through painting. But if one lacks this passionate commitment. there is nothing left to do. Then it is best to leave it alone. For. basically. painting is idiocy.‘
Gerhard Richter: Paintings From Private Collections, National Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 8 Nov-Sun 4 Jan.
THE BEST EXHIBITIONS
a: Monika Sosnowska The Polish artist takes inspiration from the grey concrete and steel of her native Krakow for this exhibition of new sculptural works. See review, page 94. The Modern Institute, Glasgow, until Sat 8 Nov.
#1 Abraham Cruzvillegas: Autoconstruccion The work of Mexican artist and sculptor Cruzvillegas, who recently completed a six- month residency at Cove Park, maintains links with his origins in Ajusco, Mexico City while reflecting on his new surroundings, and includes works comprising handfuls of wool and sheep shit. See review, page 95. CCA, Glasgow, until Sat 8 Nov.
:i: Alex Frost: Compassion Fatigue Alex Frost’s new exhibition consists of works based on everyday items such as breakfast cereal packaging, eye drops. tooth polish and moisturising lotion to challenge preconceived ideas relating to health and lifestyle remedies and questioning the cultural and class aspects of their consumption. See review, page 95. Sorcha Dal/as, Glasgow, until Sat 75 Nov.
=i= Langlands and Bell For their first major solo exhibition in Edinburgh, Turner Prize- nominated duo Ben Langlands and Nikki Bell present a complete survey of their film works, shown together for the first time. See review, page 94. Talbot Rice, Edinburgh, until Sat 13 Dec.
>t< Gerhard Richter: Paintings From Private Collections A major retrospective of work by one of the world’s greatest artists, who consistently eschews easy classification. See preview, left. National Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 8 Nov-Sun 4 Jan.
30 Oct—13 Nov 2008 THE LIST 93