German Art Now

By Elizabeth McDavid Jones

Book Overview

German Art Now focuses on the extraordinary group of artists and photographers that emerged in Germany in the decades following the end of World War II, and whose wide-ranging themes and powerful aesthetic have established them as major figures on the world art stage. Featuring Joseph Beuys, Georg Baselitz, Jorg Immendorff, Anselm Kiefer, Markus Lupertz, A. R. Penck, Sigmar Polke, and Gerhard Richter, this survey examines the way in which, through their sculptures, paintings, and drawings, these artists have confronted issues of national identity, defeat and recovery, mythology and the burdens of history, and the responsibilities of art in society. They have developed new forms of expression in which to address these themes, and their impact on the fields of abstract and figurative art, Pop Art, photo-realism, and performance art has been significant. Similarities of background and generation bind them into a recognizable group, yet, as the authors show, their resistance to any similarities of subject matter, medium, style, or artistic persona continues to ensure their individuality. These innovations, not surprisingly, were also felt in the sphere of photography, and an insightful essay considers a group of German photographers that has achieved worldwide respect. The pioneers Bernd and Hilla Becher taught and influenced a generation whose monumental presentations and technical prowess convey both the ambiguities of subject matter and the ambitions of the medium. Andreas Gursky, Candida Hofer, Thomas Ruff, and Thomas Struth are internationally recognized artists whose works are included in the permanent collections and major exhibitions of contemporary art in Europe and the United States. German Art Now examines pivotal works by these fourteen German artists who first came to recognition in the 1960s and 1970s, and who, with the exception of Joseph Beuys (who died in 1986), continue to create compelling art. This book illustrates the amazing scope and expressive power that this generation has defined. Book jacket. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1858942357
• ISBN13: 9781858942353
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Merrell
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 2.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 10.2" x 10.8"