Scope stunning works from Gerhard Richter’s six-decade strong catalogue at The Life of Images
People change a heck of a lot in 60 years. Heck, if you look back on what you were doing even five years ago it can feel like a lifetime. Thus, it comes as no surprise that artists who are active across multiple decades are prone to switching it up and experimenting, testing the waters across styles and genres to try their hand at most everything that tickles their fancy. One such person is Gerhard Richter, the iconic German artist whose body of work is as storied as it is diverse. Coming to the Gallery of Modern Art from October 14 and running until February next year, Gerhard Richter: The Life of Images provides us with an extraordinary chance to witness one of the world’s most influential artists as he’s never been seen before.
Gerhard Richter: The Life of Images is a comprehensive exhibit showcasing more than 90 works that have been described as some of the most haunting, compelling and enigmatic of our time. Iconic portraits, breathtaking still-life paintings and spectacular landscapes make up the content. The exhibition is built around the mammoth ATLAS Overview, a 400-panel extract from Gerhard’s project ATLAS that features photographs, sketches, collages and cuttings that he has drawn on for his paintings throughout his life. ATLAS reflects Gerhard’s intense interest in the currency of images, and he has personally nominated and arranged the selection of images on display at GOMA – this installation forms the core of the whole exhibition.
Throughout the opening weekend and also the course of Gerhard Richter: The Life of Images, the Gallery will be hosting a number of events that explore the artist’s work at a more in-depth level. On Saturday October 14 the floor will come alive with a program of talks, tours and discussions on the exhibition with Dr Rosemary Hawker, Geraldine Kirrihi Barlow and international guests, while on Sunday October 15, QAGOMA (in partnership with Griffith University) will host a one-day academic symposium on Richter’s expansive practice. As well as this, every Sunday throughout the exhibition see either Michael Blackwood’s Gerhard Richter: 4 Decades or Corinna Belz’s Gerhard Richter – Painting at the Gallery’s Cinémathèque.
You can get tickets to Gerhard Richter: The Life of Images through QTIX right now – be sure to pencil it in before it finishes up on February 4 next year.
Image credits
Image one: Gerhard Richter / Reader (804) / Oil on canvas / Collection: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, USA / © Gerhard Richter 2017
Image two: Gerhard Richter / Orchid (848-9) / Oil on aludibond / Private Collection / © Gerhard Richter 2017
Image three: Gerhard Richter / September (Ed. 139) / Print between glass / Collection: Dallas Museum of Art (DMA), Dallas, USA / © Gerhard Richter 2017
Image four: Gerhard Richter / St Andrew (653-2) 1988 / Oil on canvas / Collection: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA, Modern and Contemporary Art Council Fund / © Gerhard Richter 2017
To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.
