Gerhard Richter

Gerhard Richter

As a painter Richter primarily explored themes of memory and national identity. He felt compelled to use his work as a means to remind people about German history people did not want to talk about or remember. He wanted to confront Germany's struggle to recover from the second World War. His pieces were painted in a photorealistic style and then were intentionally blurred to make a statement about clarity, perception, and reality. 

Many of his paintings are of memories of his family, representing many of the hardships they underwent. They were meant to remind German citizens of what they had been through as a nation.

I find the intentional blurring of his paintings to be an interesting representation of how we recall things. Often our memories are there but are not in sharp focus or perfectly intact.

"Family After Old Master" (1966), Gerhard Richter.

"Abstract Painting (726)" (1990), Gerhard Richter.

His later paintings took on an even more abstract nature to them. This particular painting I find fascinating because of its layers and depth. Although the painting is completely abstract, its viewers will have a sense that there is underlying imagery to be picked out. Great use of stokes here, and the subtlety of the colors works well, particularly in the shadows because it makes it feel as though there is figuration there to a certain extent.