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Gerhard Richter: Panorama: A Retrospective
Published on the occasion of Richter's major exhibition at the Tate, Gerhard Panorama is the first and most complete overview of one of the greatest artistic achievements of our times. Where previous monographs have focused on a single genre within the artist's vast output, this stunningly illustrated survey encompasses his entire oeuvre, now stretching across more than a half-century of activity, including photo-paintings, abstracts, landscapes and seascapes, portraits, glass and mirror works, sculptures, drawings and photographs. It therefore stands as the definitive portrait of Richter's colossal accomplishment to date. Alongside his celebrated abstractions, early black-and-white paintings and the photorealist depictions of candles, skulls and clouds that have become indisputable icons of modern painting, Panorama includes nearly 30 new paintings made over the past ten years, extensive comparative works, studio photographs, archival images and a substantial interview with the artist conducted by Nicholas Serota. This landmark publication is a fitting tribute to one of the world's most celebrated living artists.
Born in Dresden, East Germany, in 1932, Gerhard Richter migrated to West Germany in 1961, settling in Düsseldorf, where he studied at the Düsseldorf Academy, and where he held his first solo exhibition in 1963. Over the course of that decade, Richter helped to liberate painting from the legacy of Socialist Realism (in Eastern Germany) and Abstract Expressionism (in Western Germany and throughout Europe). He has exhibited internationally for the last five decades, with retrospectives in New York, Paris and Düsseldorf. He lives and works in Cologne.
Born in Dresden, East Germany, in 1932, Gerhard Richter migrated to West Germany in 1961, settling in Düsseldorf, where he studied at the Düsseldorf Academy, and where he held his first solo exhibition in 1963. Over the course of that decade, Richter helped to liberate painting from the legacy of Socialist Realism (in Eastern Germany) and Abstract Expressionism (in Western Germany and throughout Europe). He has exhibited internationally for the last five decades, with retrospectives in New York, Paris and Düsseldorf. He lives and works in Cologne.
- GenresArtNonfiction
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2009
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About the author
Gerhard Richter
223 books34 followersGerman visual artist. Richter has produced abstract as well as photorealistic paintings, and also photographs and glass pieces. He is widely regarded as one of the most important contemporary German artists and several of his works have set record prices at auction.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 31, 2011
The Sweep of Gerhard Richter's Art
For those who have been following the changing style of Gerhard Richter's art over the last half century this retrospective exhibition catalogue will not only inform but amaze with the breadth of works included. The book GERHARD RICHTER: PANORAMA began with the mighty exhibition at the Tate in London and has since been on tour throughout Europe. The works of Richter, best known to the public, are his majestic landscapes - at times in mixed media, but always stupefying in their size and the references to history while being at the same time resources of the study of light that many artists reference in their work.
PANORAMA is just that - the works included in this generously illustrated book include the artist's photo-paintings, abstracts, seascapes, landscapes, portraits, still lifes of candles, skulls and clouds, works created form glass and mirror, sculptures, drawings and photographs. Of particular interest to the followers of Richter are the many new paintings (approximately thirty or so) not seen in monographs before this book. While Richter's works speak volumes on their own, this monograph includes some very fine essays by Achim Borchardt-Hume, Dorothée Brill, Rachel Haidu, Christine Mehring, and Camille Morineau which add insights to the master's works and evolution as he changes his subject matter and approach and media. The book is edited by Nicholas Serota and Mark Godfrey and every stage in the artists life is studied and documented with fine examples of his work.
Not only does this book offer a solid retrospective of the career and artistic development of one of our finest artists, it also, in tandem, chronicles an important history in social changes in Europe and throughout the world: the change from Socialism to democracy. Many fell that Gerhard Richter was a key figure in liberating painting from the legacy of Socialist Realism (in Eastern Germany) and Abstract Expressionism (in Western Germany and throughout Europe). A scholarly work as well as a genuinely important survey of an artist's life to date.
Grady Harp
For those who have been following the changing style of Gerhard Richter's art over the last half century this retrospective exhibition catalogue will not only inform but amaze with the breadth of works included. The book GERHARD RICHTER: PANORAMA began with the mighty exhibition at the Tate in London and has since been on tour throughout Europe. The works of Richter, best known to the public, are his majestic landscapes - at times in mixed media, but always stupefying in their size and the references to history while being at the same time resources of the study of light that many artists reference in their work.
PANORAMA is just that - the works included in this generously illustrated book include the artist's photo-paintings, abstracts, seascapes, landscapes, portraits, still lifes of candles, skulls and clouds, works created form glass and mirror, sculptures, drawings and photographs. Of particular interest to the followers of Richter are the many new paintings (approximately thirty or so) not seen in monographs before this book. While Richter's works speak volumes on their own, this monograph includes some very fine essays by Achim Borchardt-Hume, Dorothée Brill, Rachel Haidu, Christine Mehring, and Camille Morineau which add insights to the master's works and evolution as he changes his subject matter and approach and media. The book is edited by Nicholas Serota and Mark Godfrey and every stage in the artists life is studied and documented with fine examples of his work.
Not only does this book offer a solid retrospective of the career and artistic development of one of our finest artists, it also, in tandem, chronicles an important history in social changes in Europe and throughout the world: the change from Socialism to democracy. Many fell that Gerhard Richter was a key figure in liberating painting from the legacy of Socialist Realism (in Eastern Germany) and Abstract Expressionism (in Western Germany and throughout Europe). A scholarly work as well as a genuinely important survey of an artist's life to date.
Grady Harp
March 11, 2012
Gerhard Richter is one of the few unquestionable genius's at work today. He is a great artist who has somehow managed to navigate the artistic and theoretical battles that took place through the second half of the 20th century whilst retaining his aloof spirit of independence. The only artist I can think of who was as adept as Richter at turning his hand to different themes, styles and mediums was Picasso. He is not just a hand, or an eye, but a brain and a heart as well. The exhibition at the Tate Modern a few months ago is one the best I've ever seen.
May 1, 2018
Nice interview at the front of the book where GR calls BS several times with the interviewer. He shows a fairly straightforward and down to earth approach to making art. Seems to stay away from the complex language so prevalent in academia, criticism, and artist statements today.
The criticisms that follow aren’t horrible but there was one second to the end that suggested military intelligence might have been able to spot concentration camps from aerial photos had they been better able to read cubist compositions. That’s a stretch. The last critic was a bit better and provided a nice commentary of the work as a whole. Another critic worked to unite various genres GRs work using the notion of “Blow Up”. Didn’t work for me.
The criticisms that follow aren’t horrible but there was one second to the end that suggested military intelligence might have been able to spot concentration camps from aerial photos had they been better able to read cubist compositions. That’s a stretch. The last critic was a bit better and provided a nice commentary of the work as a whole. Another critic worked to unite various genres GRs work using the notion of “Blow Up”. Didn’t work for me.
August 27, 2017
4.75 / 5.0
ALMOST A BIOGRAPHY. ONLY MISSING PERSONAL DETAILS FOCUS IS ON ART ITS GENESIS AN EXECUTION. PHENOMENAL PICTURES ASSOCIATE WELL WITH AND COMPLEMENT WELL WRITTEN NARRATIVE
ALMOST A BIOGRAPHY. ONLY MISSING PERSONAL DETAILS FOCUS IS ON ART ITS GENESIS AN EXECUTION. PHENOMENAL PICTURES ASSOCIATE WELL WITH AND COMPLEMENT WELL WRITTEN NARRATIVE
July 10, 2012
Gorgeous work, well reproduced. I enjoyed the catalog essays too, but I should revisit them.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews