The Daily Practice of Painting: Writings 1962-1993

About this book

Gerhard Richter born in Dresden in 1932 is one of the foremost painters of his generation. A great deal has been written about the bewildering heterogeneity of his work over the past 30 years. His seemingly willful and defiant movement between abstract and figurative modes of representation and his seemingly inconsistent methods of applying paint to canvas are consistent if nothing else with Richter himselfthe master of the paradoxical statement. Although he has emphasized that he is first a painter and has never been a theorist he has throughout his career issued provocative contentious and memorable statements. Over seven years in preparation this book makes available a selection of Richters texts from all periods of his career many translated for the first time. There are public statements about specific exhibitions private reflections drawn from personal correspondence answers to questions posed by critics and excerpts from journals discussing the intentions subjects methods and sources of his works from various periods. The writings are accompanied by 87 biographical illustrations of paintings from the artists personal collection. Published in association with the Anthony dOffay Gallery London