Contemporary Art: Anselm Kiefer - From Cold To Warm @ Gagosian, New York

 

(Drivebycuriosity) - I am a fan of Anselm Kiefer. The German "is one of the most imaginative, original and serious artists alive", writes The Guardian ( theguardian). I agree. I am fascinated by his vast pictures, often covered with massive paint, ashes & condiments like sunflower seeds.

So I was very happy that my wife & I could see an exhibition with new works by the artist @ Gagosian in Chelsea (West 21st Street, New York gagosian ). The show is called: "Transition from Cold to Warm" (through July 14, 2017). I think the title is well chosen. The exhibition displays indeed a very different Kiefer. Usually his works are very serious & sinister and they refer to destruction, death, decay & Holocaust. But the new show was full of life, joy & lust.

The press release explains "The exhibition’s title, “Transition from Cool to Warm,” refers to a celebrated book of watercolors that he produced from 1974 to 1977, in which cool, blue marine land and seascapes transform into warm female nudes." (gagosian).



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I show here my favorites (and some details of them), a very subjective selection as usual. Above this paragraph you can see "Ignis sacer" (2016, Oil, acrylic, and emulsion on canvas, 110 1/4 × 149 5/8 × 3 5/8 inches (280 × 380 × 9 cm). Ignis sacer means "poisoning caused by consuming ergot-infected grain or grain products, or from excessive use of drugs containing ergot" ( thefreedictionary).
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Above "Des Malers Atelier (The Painter’s Studio)" (2016,Oil, emulsion, acrylic, and shellac on canvas, 110 1/4 × 149 5/8 × 2 inches (280 × 380 × 5 cm).

 

Above "Aurora" (2015–17, Oil, emulsion, acrylic, shellac, and sediment of an electrolysis on canvas, 110 1/4 × 149 5/8 × 3 5/8 inches (280 × 380 × 9 cm) followed by "Schlange (Snake)" (2017,Oil, emulsion, acrylic, shellac, gold leaf, clay, and metal on canvas,149 5/8 × 110 1/4 × 9 7/8 inches (380 × 280 × 25 cm).

 

Above "For Segantini: die bösen Mütter (For Segantini: The Bad Mothers)" (2011–12, Oil, emulsion, acrylic, shellac, wood, metal, lead, and sediment of an electrolysis on canvas, 110 1/4 × 181 1/8 × 21 5/8 inches (280 × 460 × 55 cm).

 

Above some of Kiefer`s watercolors.


Gagosian also showed more than 40 of Kiefer´s new books, some of them you can see below. "Their pages painted with gesso to mimic marble, displayed in an installation of glass vitrines (press release).

Enjoy!