15.2.88 1988

Curator: Let's turn our attention to "15.2.88" by Gerhard Richter. This is a striking mixed-media piece from 1988. Editor: Immediately, the vibrant colors grab me—the interplay between that almost aggressive red and the calmer blue. There's also this striking verticality enforced by what seem like strokes, or drips, of white paint cutting through both sections. Curator: That's right. Structurally, we observe the distinct layering effect achieved through matter-painting techniques using primarily acrylic paint on canvas. Richter carefully constructs zones of color which creates tension through contrasting hues and gestural marks. It’s hard to escape German Expressionist and Abstract influences here. Editor: Certainly, and what's interesting to me is the serial nature of the act of creation here. Given its place and date of execution, the late 80s, it could be considered as Richter’s response, or at least an artistic reaction, to the re-emergence of Expressionism within a politically charged European artistic milieu. Do you see parallels with socio-political conditions during that period reflected in this abstraction? Curator: Undeniably. One could draw comparisons between Richter’s seemingly chaotic applications of paint to Germany's struggles for reunification during that timeframe. Yet, looking at Richter's methodology, it is about controlled chance. Each gesture and color are applied with deliberation even within apparent spontaneity. This push-and-pull contributes powerfully to the emotional weight. Editor: I find myself reflecting on the nature of abstraction itself—the impossibility of fixing a single interpretation, making this piece a fascinating dialogue between intentionality and perceived happenstance, echoing larger discourses happening culturally. Curator: Exactly, a conversation rather than a statement, and now I also leave the viewer with an understanding of Richter's processes. Editor: It provokes interesting thoughts, I'm eager for us to explore this a little more one day, hopefully soon!