Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richteris a German visual artist. Richter has produced abstract as well as photorealistic paintings, and also photographs and glass pieces. His art follows the examples of Picasso and Jean Arp in undermining the concept of the artist's obligation to maintain a single cohesive style...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionPainter
Date of Birth9 February 1932
CountryGermany
long needs might
I often need a long time to understand things, to imagine a painting I might make.
dancing singing age
Painting is my profession, because it has always been the thing that interested me most. I'm of a certain age, I come from a different tradition and, in any case, I can't do anything else. I'm still very sure that painting is one of the most basic human capacities, like dancing and singing, that make sense, that stay with us, as something human.
full opposite
Every museum is full of nice things. That's the opposite of before. It was important things or serious things. Now we have interesting things.
absent gray
Gray is the color... the most important of all... absent of opinion, nothing, neither/nor.
basic human stay sure
I'm still very sure that painting is one of the most basic human capacities, like dancing and singing, that make sense, that stay with us, as something human.
concepts conducive lead names qualities success themes time variations
I have no time for specialized concerns, working themes or variations that lead to mastery... I like the indefinite, the boundless; I like continual uncertainty. Other qualities may be more conducive to achievement, publicity, success; but they are all outworn - as outworn as ideologies, opinions, concepts and names for things.
calls draws longer naive nobody stay stopping whenever
A father draws boundaries and calls a halt, whenever necessary. As I didn't have that, I was able to stay childishly naive that much longer - so I did what I liked, because there was nobody stopping me, even when I got it wrong.
built formed history
It's our culture, Christian history, that's what formed me. Even as an atheist, I believe. We're just built that way.
created dare great paintings understand work
I don't dare to think my paintings are great. I can't understand the arrogance of someone saying, 'I have created a big, important work.'
worse
I don't think I can do this - painting under observation. It's the worst thing there is, worse than being in the hospital.
people
Now that we do not have priests and philosophers any more, artists are the most important people in the world.
condition destroying smear
When I begin, theoretically and practically I can smear anything I want on the canvas. Then there's a condition I have to react to, by changing it or destroying it.
almost crises fed finally paint perhaps push secret talk until weeks
Weeks go by, and I don't paint until finally I can't stand it any longer. I get fed up. I almost don't want to talk about it, because I don't want to become self-conscious about it, but perhaps I create these little crises as a kind of a secret strategy to push myself.
family painted
I have painted my family so frequently because they are the one who really affect me the most.