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| Ashmolean Museum |
Anselm Kiefer was born on 8th March 1945 in Germany. His art deals with the past, a dark past Germans were reluctant to talk about. There is something about Kiefer's art that draws me in. I first encountered his work some years ago, one of those exhibitions I took a chance on. I didn't know anything about him then.
It may not be everyone's cup of tea. Kiefer's art can be dark, both in subject matter and also colour use, but I love the way he uses texture. Often he mixes sand or rope, wood or other matter creating a 3D look. His work is tactile and I just want to go and touch it.
When this exhibition came up, I knew I had to see it. These are Kiefer's early works, which I knew little about, and it was an interesting exhibition. However, I realised that it is Kiefer's later work that I am most drawn to. Still, it was good to see his development and that he used various methods over the years, including watercolour and woodblock. I have just read that he worked briefly under Joseph Beuys. I remember going along to one of Beuys exhibitions many years ago with my son when he was studying art at school. Strange how these things come back to you later.
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| Ich - Du |
There are three new works in the exhibition which sit alongside the older ones. They captivated me, especially Whoever has no House now. The other two have gold painted leaves and were painted in response to the poems of Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke.
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| Portrait of Kiefer's grandmother which was added to later painting |
From 28th June the Royal Academy has an exhibition with Kiefer's work appearing alongside Van Gogh. What a treat! Another exhibition to add to the list.
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| Whoever has no House now (Wer jetz keine Haus Hat) |
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