Abstract Painting (Skin) (887-3) 2004

Editor: Here we have Gerhard Richter’s "Abstract Painting (Skin) (887-3)". The scale is quite impressive, it must be huge! I wonder, what processes went into making something so seemingly... ephemeral? Curator: It's fascinating to consider the labor and the layers of material involved, isn’t it? How many hours and tools were necessary? And what does the title, "Skin," suggest about the application and manipulation of paint as a surface? Editor: I never thought about the labor involved, that’s interesting. So, is Richter making us consider paint as a commodity, or as something more tactile, like skin itself? Curator: Exactly! And how does its mass-produced aesthetic challenge traditional notions of the artist's hand? Editor: I suppose it's really about challenging those distinctions between craft and fine art by emphasizing process and materiality. Curator: Precisely. It makes you rethink how we consume and value art.