Sigmar Polke: Paintings, Photographs and Films - Hardcover

Sigmar Polke: Paintings, Photographs and Films - Comprehensive Monograph

This beautifully produced volume is the updated and revised edition of Polígrafa's 2005 publication of the same name, which was designed and conceived in collaboration with the artist and includes documentation from his private archives. Sigmar Polke: Paintings, Photographs and Films is also the only publication to include a critical overview of the artist's films, and to examine the abiding import of Goya's painting, "El tiempo de las Viejas" ("The Time of the Old Women"), to Polke's oeuvre in general. (The new cover shows Polke photographing this painting in The Beaux Arts Museum in Lille, France.)

Comprehensive Documentation from Private Archives

This revised edition provides unprecedented access to Sigmar Polke's creative process through materials from his private archives. The publication examines how Polke interpreted images of reality rather than reality itself, while also satirizing tendencies in contemporary painting. The volume demonstrates his approach to interrogating the role of the artist as author and dismantling the visual rhetoric of media photography.

Critical Film Analysis and Goya's Influence

As the only publication to include a critical overview of Polke's films, this monograph offers essential documentation for understanding his multimedia practice. The book examines the lasting influence of Francisco Goya's "El tiempo de las Viejas" on Polke's work, providing insight into the conceptual frameworks that shaped his artistic vision across multiple mediums.

Risk-Taking and Experimental Approach

Throughout the volume, readers encounter Polke's commitment to risk-taking and experimentation. The publication showcases his most magnificent flights of imagination, from experimental photography techniques to innovative painting methods. Sigmar Polke: Paintings, Photographs and Films affirms the artist's oft-quoted observation that "there has to be an element of risk-taking for me, in my work." This hardcover edition serves as an essential reference for collectors, art historians, and anyone interested in postmodern art practices. Published by Ediciones Polígrafa S.A., the book offers a definitive examination of one of Germany's most influential contemporary artists.