Bristol Hannover Council

The final talk in the series by our member Colin Evans, tracing the development of German art in the 20th Century looked at the contribution German artists are making in the world of contemporary art. The work of this eclectic group reflects the traumatic times they have lived through but the creative way in which they represent this also offers a beacon of hope for a more positive future. As international artists their standing is second to none and we could see why when we examined the works of five of them: Josef Beuys 1921-1986 and Rebecca Horn, born 1944, both noted for sculpture, performance and installation art, Gerhard Richter, born in 1932 in Dresden, a visual artist, Katharina Fritsch, born in 1956, sculptor, and perhaps most well-known today internationally, Anselm Kiefer, born 1945, studied under Beuys, now painter and sculptor, on large scale and using different materials. Fritsch is best known in UK for her giant Blue Cockerel which occupied the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in 2013, and Kiefer’s extraordinary structures bring new meaning to the word monumental. We have in our possession the DVD of the film ‘Over Your Cities Grass will Grow’ which explores his techniques, energy and limitless imagination and we hope to show it to members on a future occasion. In addition, Colin’s talk was so successful, that those present who had not heard his earlier talks asked him to start the series again – which we hope to do next season!

 

 

 

 

 

Anselm Kiefer: Towers

 

Katharina Fritsch: Blue Cockerel

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