Gerhard Richter: New Overpainted Photographs

Opening Friday, February 5, 2010, Wako Works of Art is very pleased to present an exhibition of close to 30 new and recent overpainted photographs by Gerhard Richter.
For nearly half a decade, Richter has been producing his painting series, such as “Photo Paintings”, “Color Charts”, “Mirror Paintings”, and “Abstract Paintings”, as well as his photo archive Atlas and sculptural works employing mirrors and layers of high reflective glass. Placed within the often problematic context of postwar European art, Richter is recognized as one of the most significant figures today, and continues to pursue the “possibility of painting” beyond various boundaries. This “Overpainted Photograph” series, now consisting of nearly 600 snapshots taken by Richter himself and later overlaid with oil, acrylic, or enamel, address many of his concerns, from the relationship between painting and photography, to the blurring between the abstract and the figurative.

A new book on Richter’s Atlas project will be published in conjunction with this exhibition. The publication will feature selections from the artist’s journal and interviews, Japanese translation of Benjamin H.D. Buchloh’s “Gerhard Richter’s Atlas: The Anomic Archive”, and essay by Sumi Hayashi, curator at Kawamura Memorial Museum, all relevant to a finer understanding of the project. Designed by Daishiro Mori, this book will also be the first of a new text series to be published by the gallery. (In Japanese only)


Gerhard Richter
“New Overpainted Photographs”
February 5 – March 6, 2010
* closed on Sunday, Monday and Public holidays
http://www.wako-art.jp/

Image:
Gerhard Richter “15.3.08” 2008, lacquer on photograph
© Gerhard Richter

Copyrighted Image