Gerhard Richter

Gerhard Richter, one of the most renowned contemporary artists, has faced a life replete with challenges and difficult decisions. An inspiration to many artists for years, his legacy continues to profoundly influence the art world.

Biography of Gerhard Richter

Gerhard Richter was born in 1932 in Dresden as the first child of Horst and Hildegard Richter. While the artist and his father did not have a close relationship, his mother, a bookseller, a talented pianist, and deeply passionate about literature, served as a significant source of inspiration for young Richter.

In 1935, his father was offered a teaching position in Reichenau, and the entire family relocated to this smaller and less stimulating town. However, as World War II broke out, Reichenau proved to be a safer place to live compared to Dresden, which experienced heavy bombardment. The strain between father and son increased when the former was conscripted into the German army, sent to the Eastern front, and eventually captured by the Allies on the Western front, spending the final days of the war as a POW. Upon his return, he faced disgrace. The family later moved from Reichenau to the even smaller Waltersdorf during the war.

Despite the hardships, Richter found some joy in the post-war years. He gained access to books that were once prohibited under the Nazi regime. His mother's influence and love for literature became evident as she encouraged him to read Schiller, Goethe, Nietzsche, and others. Around the age of 15, Richter developed an interest in art, triggered by an early epiphany during an eight-week summer camp organized by the Soviet-controlled State, where he spent much time drawing. In 1947, while pursuing his studies in stenography and accounting at a college in Zittau, Richter started attending evening painting classes.

A year later, he moved to Zittau, and even upon completing his studies, he did not anticipate a career as a painter. His initial job involved producing banners for the government of the German Democratic Republic, but his responsibilities mostly revolved around cleaning and preparing existing banners for his colleagues. In 1950, he became an assistant set painter for the municipal theater in Zittau. Richter enjoyed his time there but was let go when he refused to paint the theater's staircases.

Jobless, in 1951, the artist returned to his hometown of Dresden, prepared to formally begin his studies as a painter. His acceptance into the Academy was a significant achievement for him, and he eagerly anticipated his studies there. In addition to the demanding artistic curriculum, students were exposed to Soviet politics and economics. Shortly after entering the Academy, Richter met Marianne Eufinger, known as Ema, a fashion and textiles student who would become his first wife in 1957. Despite its appearance of tradition and conservatism, the Academy was relatively more liberal compared to the agenda of the East German authorities. However, this atmosphere was about to change. The artists faced increasing restrictions and were unable to borrow books on impressionism. The studies of formalist art, except for Picasso and Renato Guttuso, were not allowed. Despite these challenges and the mounting pressure on personal freedoms, Richter found his training in Dresden to be profoundly influential.

After finishing his studies at the Academy in 1956, he was admitted to a program for talented graduates. This program offered him a studio and a modest income for three years in exchange for teaching evening classes to the public. Though things seemed promising, he grew increasingly uncomfortable with the limitations imposed on his work. The choices were to conform or face punishment. After encountering works by Lucio Fontana, Jean Fournier, and Jackson Pollock, Richter realized his creative expression was different and lacked the necessary freedom. So, in 1961, he meticulously planned and executed his escape to West Germany with Ema. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in the artist's career, driven by necessity.

Munich was the initial destination, but Richter heeded the advice of his friend Reinhard Graner and settled in Düsseldorf. Despite having completed his studies in Dresden, the artist chose to attend the Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, a progressive institution. As a student, he had the opportunity to explore the latest trends and techniques while also receiving a stipend, which proved crucial to his income in the years following his defection from East Germany.  

Richter started in Ferdinand Macketanz's class and painted with great intensity. However, he was dissatisfied with most of his works and destroyed many of them. 

After the first semester, Richter joined Karl Otto Götz's class, one of the Academy's most attractive professors. Here, he met fellow artists Konrad Fischer, Sigmar Polke, and Blinky Palermo, who became friends and mutual influences. They maintained a competitive yet supportive spirit, striving to improve their art and make a name for themselves, often exhibiting together. Along with staying current with developments in Germany, they closely followed global trends, including the rise of Pop Art, incorporating elements of this new, soon-to-be world-dominant artistic style into their work.

By the time Richter left the Academy in the summer of 1964, he had fully embraced his destiny as a painter, and his actual profession could begin. Two key elements were crucial to him during this time: representation by commercial and dynamic galleries and opportunities for exhibitions. In the summer of 1964, gallerist Heiner Friedrich from Munich invited Richter to participate in a two-person exhibition alongside Peter Klasen. Düsseldorf-based gallerist Alfred Schmela granted the artist his first solo exhibition in September 1964. Concurrently, René Block inaugurated his gallery in Berlin, featuring Richter's work in a group show. In November 1964, the artist exhibited alongside Sigmar Polke at Galerie Parnass in Wuppertal. It marked a promising beginning in the world of commercial art, allowing Richter the freedom to explore his preferred subjects.

The 1960s were a fruitful period for Richter, marked by numerous exhibitions and the development of significant relationships, such as his connection with René Block. His works also gained international exposure through group exhibitions in Switzerland, the United States, and Japan.

The 1970s presented some challenges for Richter. Despite his career and reputation gaining momentum, he did not see it that way. In 1977, the artist found two pivotal directions. First, he achieved a satisfying conclusion to the internal logic of the monochrome, allowing paintings to project outward into the world rather than spiraling inward into the artist's mind. His second breakthrough was the development of numerous colorful abstract works described as "Abstraktes Bild." However, in his personal life, not everything proceeded as planned. His close friend Blinky Palermo passed away during a vacation in the Maldives, and Richter's marriage to Ema grew strained, eventually leading to their formal separation in the spring of 1979. 

The artist's next person of interest was Isa Genzken. He first encountered her in the early 1970s while she was studying, and their paths crossed again in the late 1970s, coinciding with the end of his marriage to Ema. Soon after, they began living together in Düsseldorf and married in 1982. The following year, they relocated to Cologne, prompted by a generous offer from his gallerist, Rudolf Zwirner, who provided them with a spacious studio.

Richter's fame continued to grow steadily, and by the end of the 1980s, he had become one of the most prominent painters in Germany and the world. His artworks consistently sold well in international markets, a testament to his status and reputation. In 1993, his marriage with Isa Genzken came to an end. A year later, Richter met artist Sabine Moritz, fell in love with her, and settled down together for good.

In 2002, a significant retrospective titled "Forty Years of Painting" took place at MoMA, showcasing 190 works and curated by Robert Storr. In the same year, he had been asked to replace the window on the Cologne Cathedral that had been destroyed during World War II, and he completed this project after five years of meticulous effort. It was his largest commission to date.

The life of Gerhard Richter is a testament to the power of resilience and determination. Faced with difficult choices, he made bold decisions, ultimately rising to become one of the most influential and celebrated artists in the contemporary art world.

Currently, the artist resides and works in Cologne, Germany.

Gerhard Richter's Art Style

Gerhard Richter's interest in contemporary events, popular culture, media, and the burgeoning consumer society became increasingly evident in his early paintings. Pieces like "President Johnson consoles Mrs. Kennedy," created after the infamous Kennedy assassination, reflected this. During this period, he began using photographic images in his paintings, a departure from traditional academic painting, marking a significant breakthrough. He explored the relationship between the photographic image and painting, introducing blurring techniques in works like "Alster" in 1963. Pioneering a groundbreaking approach to painting by exploring the intersection of photography and painting, Richter played a fundamental role in shaping the discourse of post-World War II art.

While he enjoyed painting a wide range of subjects, certain themes such as family portraits, military aircraft, and groups of people held a special allure for him, becoming more evident in the following years. Richter also showed a keen interest in the themes of death and suffering, reminiscent of Warhol's Disaster series. In 1967, following the breakthrough piece "Ema (Nude on a Staircase)," Richter's focus shifted to depictions of women, nudes, and erotic imagery. In 1968, he began exploring aerial views of cities and towns. 

In the 1970s, he delved deeper into Minimalism, Conceptualism, and Formalism, especially the works of artists like Bruce Nauman and Sol LeWitt. After initially engaging with geometric abstraction in 1966 through color charts, Richter revisited this approach in 1971, introducing an element of chance in color selection and exploring grids with a broader range of colors compared to his 1966 works. "192 Colors" served as a significant departure point for him. Grey monochromes, often referred to as Grey Paintings, were also a focus in 1966. These paintings were inspired by Richter's fascination with Art Informel, characterized by sweeping and swirling brushstrokes, in contrast to the gentle blurring effect seen in his photo paintings. The further development of these "Inpaintings" led to the creation of pieces that straddled the line between abstraction and figuration, such as "Two Women at Table." Richter also drew attention with his technique of photo enlargement, which aimed to remove expression. Color Charts, Grey Painting, Inpaintings, and Photo-Enlargements represented Richter's efforts to explore abstraction and dismantle figurative painting.

Between 1982 and 1983, candles became a primary subject in his work, offering a fresh approach to photo painting and serving as a distinctive boundary between Richter's style and the neo-expressionists. In 1983 and 1984, the artist turned his attention to more grounded subjects, depicting rural farmland and the Rhineland, exemplified by works like "Barn." In 1988, one of his most popular pieces, "Betty," portrayed Richter's daughter from his first marriage.

At the dawn of the new millennium, Richter's focus was increasingly directed toward his Abstract Paintings. In 2001, he brought glass to the forefront, as seen in works like "4 Standing Panes," which demonstrated his interest in expanding wall-based art into the realm of sculpture.

In 2008, the artist delved into testing patterns and design concepts, accompanied by a series of colorful abstract pieces. One of his more recent explorations in abstraction and color took the form of stripes, culminating in the 2011 piece titled "Strip."

From his college days onward, Richter maintained special relationships with several artists, among them Konrad Fischer, Sigmar Polke, and Blinky Palermo. The artist also drew inspiration from renowned artists, including Jackson Pollock, Lucio Fontana, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol. Additionally, he was influenced by artistic movements such as Pop Art, Fluxus, Abstract Expressionism, and even Dada. It's worth noting the impact of Hubert Roestenburg on Richter's work. Richter's artistic journey was deeply intertwined with the contributions and influences of these various artists and movements, contributing to the rich tapestry of his own work.