Painter, sculptor, and installation artist. Kiefer was born in 1945 in Donauschingen, Germany. At the close of World War II, Anselm Kiefer studied art informally under Joseph Beuys at the Düsseldorf Academy in the early 1970s. Kiefer 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. Kiefer's work balances the dual purposes of visually powerful imagery and intellectually critical analysis. One of his most important works is on six strips of burlap sewn together, which Kiefer drew perspective lines to form a deep theatrical space. The viewer is placed at the entrance of the cavernous room, slightly off center, engulfed by the wooden beams...The interior is at once a memorial hall and crematorium. Eternal fires burn along the wall as if in memory of the individuals, but the lower edge of the painting is darkened in a manner that suggests it has been singed.
No comments:
Post a Comment