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March 18, 2009
Anselm Kiefer is a German photographer, painter and sculptor who engages with history and the trauma experienced by societies. His work reflects upon and critiques the myths and chauvinism which eventually propelled the German Third Reich to power. His paintings depict his generation's ambivalence toward the grandiose impulse of German nationalism and its impact on history.
Anselm Kiefer, Grosse Eisenfaust Deutschland kleine Panzerfaust D, mixed media
He uses a in a variety of materials, including oil paint, dirt, lead, models, photographs, painted photographs woodcuts, sand, straw and all manner of organic material. By adding found materials to the painted surface of his immense tableaux, he invents a compelling third space between painting and sculpture. He uses barren landscapes to explore Germany's past and present.
Anselm Kiefer, Nigredo,1984, Oil, acrylic, emulsion, shellac, and straw on photograph, mounted on canvas, with woodcut
His concept of an art that synthesizes all the mediums and which sees through illusions to a reality in which Germany's failed to spiritually renew itself in the aftermath of World War 11.
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some useful links:
Keifler
some links White Cube