Cologne Beggars IV (Kölner Bettler IV) 1972

Sigmar Polke made this haunting image, Cologne Beggars IV, using a printing process that feels both precise and unpredictable. The muted tones and ghostly figures emerge through a haze, reminding me that artmaking is always a dance with chance. The texture here is fascinating; it’s smooth yet grainy, with a subtle layering that creates depth. It’s like Polke is playing with the idea of visibility itself. The kneeling figure in the foreground is more defined, drawing your eye. But the crowd behind him almost dissolves into the background, making them anonymous and indistinct. The contrast is stark, highlighting the beggar's isolation. Polke's experimental approach reminds me of Gerhard Richter, another German artist who blurred the lines between photography and painting. Both artists push us to question what we see and how we see it, embracing ambiguity over easy answers.