Gerhard Richter

Modernist painter Gerhard Richter continuously blurs the line of abstraction and figuration, questioning how we perceive media by using a photograph as his canvas and going beyond its traditional purpose. This overpainted picture captures the artist’s visual languages side-by-side, embracing the sharp tension between medium and support, representation and abstraction. The use of grey, a colour prominently featured in his work – which the artist refers to as the colour of nothingness, evoking no feelings or associations – further challenges the medium . By making “nothing” visible, the artist provides space for possibilities. His thick application of opaque grey paint transforms the photograph from a reproducible print to a distinctive and unique work.