Page opening 2 from "The Heavenly Palaces: Merkabah" 1990

Editor: Here we have Anselm Kiefer's "Page opening 2 from 'The Heavenly Palaces: Merkabah'," a mixed media work on paper. The image is stark, almost industrial. What do you make of it? Curator: The overwhelming feeling of materiality is key here. Look at the dirt, the rough paper, the way Kiefer forces us to confront the literal substance of the artwork. This transcends simple representation, becoming about the physical act of creation and what is produced. Editor: So you're saying the process is more important than the subject? Curator: Not entirely, but inseparable. The subject matter-- these "heavenly palaces"--are brought down to earth, quite literally. How do you interpret the relationship between the title's grandiose promise and the gritty reality depicted? Editor: I guess it's a challenge to the viewer to find the "heavenly" within something so base. Thanks, that's a great way to consider it. Curator: Indeed, a reminder that even transcendence is rooted in earthly materials and labor.