7.4.89 1989

Gerhard Richter made this painting, 7.4.89, with oil on canvas, and the date is right there in the title. What grabs me first is the lusciousness of the paint itself – thick, juicy, almost edible. You can practically taste the buttery texture. Look closely, and you'll see how Richter layers color upon color, dragging them across the surface. The blacks, yellows, and oranges aren't just sitting there; they're actively engaging in a kind of dance. See that one defiant stroke of black slashing diagonally? It feels like a rebellious act, disrupting the harmony, or maybe enhancing it! Richter's work often plays with chance and control. It reminds me a bit of some of Sigmar Polke's later stuff – that same embrace of experimentation. But with Richter, there's always a sense of something lurking beneath the surface, like a memory struggling to emerge. It's beautiful and unsettling all at once.