Summer Highlights

A.R. Penck

Kontrolle, 1991

A.R. Penck and His Lithographs: A Glimpse into the Mind of a Neo-Expressionist

A.R. Penck, born Ralf Winkler in Dresden, Germany, was a pioneering figure in the Neo-Expressionist movement. His work, often characterized by its raw energy, bold symbols, and primitive forms, reflects a deep engagement with the political and social upheavals of post-war Europe. Penck’s art, particularly his lithographs, offers a profound insight into his unique visual language and his commentary on the human condition.

Penck's lithographs are instantly recognizable due to their use of stark, simplified forms—stick figures, abstracted shapes, and schematic symbols—that recall the visual language of cave paintings or ancient petroglyphs. These forms are not just aesthetic choices but are imbued with meaning. They represent a universal language, a kind of visual shorthand that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers. In Penck's hands, these symbols become tools for exploring themes of power, conflict, and human interaction.

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Joan Miró

works from the 1960s - 1980s

Joan Miró, the Catalan visionary, brought an electrifying energy to the world of printmaking during the 1960s through the 1980s. In his lithographs and etchings from this period, Miró's signature blend of abstract forms, bold colors, and playful symbols reaches new heights of seductive allure. Each work feels like an intimate dance between spontaneity and precision, where every curve and splash of color ignites the senses.

During these decades, Miró’s lithographs and etchings delve deeper into the surreal, capturing the essence of dreams and the mysteries of the cosmos. The works pulse with a vibrant energy, where every line and shape seems to move and breathe, creating a visual rhythm that is both hypnotic and exhilarating.

Miró's prints from this era are more than just artworks; they are magnetic encounters with the artist's untamed imagination, inviting you to lose yourself in his world of vivid colors and enigmatic forms. They seduce the viewer, leaving a lasting impression that lingers long after the first encounter, a testament to Miró's genius in making the ethereal feel tantalizingly tangible.

Takashi Murakami, the Japanese contemporary art superstar, is renowned for his ability to blend high and low culture, creating works that are both visually striking and deeply conceptual. In his homage to Monogold, Murakami pays tribute to the legendary French artist Yves Klein, who famously used pure gold leaf in his minimalist, monochromatic artworks.

Murakami’s Monogold series reinterprets Klein’s fascination with gold, infusing it with his own signature style—a vibrant fusion of traditional Japanese art, pop culture, and the post-war avant-garde. Where Klein’s gold surfaces were about purity and the sublime, Murakami’s homage adds layers of irony and cultural commentary.

In these works, Murakami’s iconic characters—like the smiling flowers and the mischievous Mr. DOB—emerge from the gold backgrounds, creating a dazzling contrast that captures the eye and challenges the mind. The gold serves as both a surface and a symbol, reflecting Murakami's ongoing dialogue between East and West, the sacred and the profane, and the eternal question of what is truly valuable.

Murakami’s Monogold is not just a homage; it’s a reinvention, where the artist transforms Klein’s minimalist vision into a maximalist celebration of color, form, and contemporary culture. Through this series, Murakami invites viewers to reconsider the allure of gold—not just as a material, but as a metaphor for the complex interplay between art, value, and meaning in the 21st century.

Summer Highlights: Selection of our summer 2024 highlights

A.R. Penck

A.R. Penck and His Lithographs: A Glimpse into the Mind of a Neo-Expressionist

Joan Miró

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