A.R. Penck. Peinture - Système - Monde

Maud Ohana

A.R. Penck, Standart, 1970-72.Synthetic resin on fabric, installation of 31 elements, 300 X 300 cm.Particular Collection © A.R. Penck, Courtesy Gallery Michael Werner, Cologne &New York Paintings of Penck (born Ralf Winkler in Dresden in 1939) are recognized with their pictograms and characters in the shape of stick, which confer a universal reading to them.
The rounds and the squares return to the data-processing binary language, Winkler being impassioned for cybernetics and the theory of ḻinformation from the very start of the years 1960. They create a comprehensible mode of reading by all. But each spectator decodes the table by instituting his own combination of signs.A.R. Penck, Der Übergang (The Passage), 1963.Oil on fabric, 94 X 120 cm.Collection Ludwig, Ludwig Forum für International Kunst, Aachen © A.R. Penck, Courtesy Gallery Michael Werner, Cologne &New York L’opposition, the conflict is in the heart of the set of themes of Penck. Born in Germany from l’Est, rejected community ḏartists of GDR (VBK), it will n’aura of cease to try to connect l’Allemagne l’Ouest. As testifies some its work fondatrie DER übergang (the Passage, 1963) representing a funambulist on a wire in the medium d’un landscape in flames. A réminescence d’un traumatism d’enfance, when Dresden is bombarbée by the Americans and the English in 1945. “J’ai considering the city on fire [ … ] J’ai lived the distress and the catastrophe which the decomposition d’une hierarchy by militaireâ€? constituted l’anéantissement; (A.R. Penck, Was STI Standart?, 1968).
This work also translates the imbalance of its artistic position into Germany of l’Est and is precursory of its future, lorsqu’il will arrive finally to s’expatrier in August 1980.
Passed, present, future. All l’oeuvre of Winkler, who takes the nickname of Penck in 1968 in reference to the geologist specialist in the ice age Albrecht Penck (1858-1945), mixes these temporal data. In its tables, prehistory and contemporary history are based with modern science.
In 1973, Penck adopts a new artistic idendity; it signs Mike Hammer, d’après the hero of the detective novels of l’Américain Mickey Spillane (born Frank Morrison Spillane, 1918-2006). Then, in 1976, it signs Y (a.r. penck). “Ce n’est not only one renaming, explains it, but rather a change ḏidentity [ … ] The system gives us a role, but l’homme has to him also its own identity, independent of the system. The first can be transformed - it is important that l’on learns with better knowing its own Moiâ€?.
Ḻartist starts to cut sculptures drink some with the axe. In parallel, it s’adonne more frequently with its second passion: music (it practises the battery), diffused in second d’exposition part. From there, its paintings are done increasingly abstract. D’ailleurs, once installed in Cologne, Penck meets on several occasions conceptual ḻartist, Joseph Beuys (1921-1986).