genius on the loose

Chances are good, that unless you are a total art nerd you probably haven't heard of Anselm Kiefer. His paintings and sculptures are a favorite of mine and personally I see him as one of the most talented abstract painters ever. His materials are unusual, his methods unorthodox; but his work is simply brilliant.

I'm not a talented enough to be a painter. I'm not like Picasso or Matisse. I need nature to collaborate with me.

his work is largely abstract, but his use of raw materials and historical undercurrents weave a rich tapestry full of visual complexity. Materials play a big part in Kiefer's work, things like human hair, varnish and straw are all commonplace. The thing which boggles my mind is that the scale of both his paintings and scupltures. Much of his work is absolutely giant.

The Scale absolutely makes sense when you consider that he is living the life on a 35 hectare, french country estate. His property has many studios, workspaces and storage areas. Apparently it may also have some underground tunnels and chambers... not going to ask what those are about.

My works are very fragile, and not only in the literal sense. If you put them in the wrong circumstances they can lose their power completely. 

Growing up in a post WWII Germany obviously shaped Kiefer's worldview, as much of his early work is very dark. History runs deep through all of his work and often signatures or other references to historical figures are a feature of many of his pieces. This is one element of Kiefer's work that I particularly love is the hand drawn typography. Handwriting or signatures are often carved into canvas and paint.

Hope you enjoyed!