RITCHER IS NOW 80 AND UP TO DATE
Pierrette and I went to see the Gerhard Ritcher at the Modern Tate in London at the end of 2011. It was a discovery for her and a renewal with his work for me. The retrospective in Paris which opened at the beginning of June in the Beaubourg is to celebrate his 80th birthday. I didn’t imagine that it would be a stick and glue job of th British exhibition, or I hoped not. I like his abstracts but have never been overly keen on his photographic work, the famous Emma, his dedicated work to Marcel Duchamp - «Nude on the Staircase» and his family portraits don’t get my attention.
Admittedly his clouds can be very effective.
Also the HUGE John Cage series reconfirmed my dislike of the John Cage music today because of its repetitive qualities. Looking at the paintings again this time, my feelings are much the same although I admit that the 6 works are an accumulation of spontaneous, reactive gestures and a little less repetitive than Cage’s music for me but his abstraction in these paintings still leaves me indifferent.
None the less, his abstract paintings of the 90’s
and his most recent work in digital imagery which probably was developed from many of his 90’s abstractions is, for once, quite small and very exciting. These do not hide the fact that they are glossy photographs and digital but they are full of energy, different shapes which turn into something when you return to the image after a couple of minutes.
I find them far more interesting than his early work.
Yet like so many artists he was influenced noticeably by other painters - and even Titian «Annunciation after Titian» which was created from a postcard of the picture in 1960 - I think.
There is an exhibition of his watercolors on at the Louvre but the section was closed yesterday when I attempted to go and from the look of security, I think it may have been for a «pretty serious» reason.
Admittedly his clouds can be very effective.
Also the HUGE John Cage series reconfirmed my dislike of the John Cage music today because of its repetitive qualities. Looking at the paintings again this time, my feelings are much the same although I admit that the 6 works are an accumulation of spontaneous, reactive gestures and a little less repetitive than Cage’s music for me but his abstraction in these paintings still leaves me indifferent.
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| John Cage series |
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| Music in Painting |
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| A section of a John Cage painting |
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| Abstract |
None the less, his abstract paintings of the 90’s
and his most recent work in digital imagery which probably was developed from many of his 90’s abstractions is, for once, quite small and very exciting. These do not hide the fact that they are glossy photographs and digital but they are full of energy, different shapes which turn into something when you return to the image after a couple of minutes.
I find them far more interesting than his early work.
 |
 |
 |
| Titian |
Yet like so many artists he was influenced noticeably by other painters - and even Titian «Annunciation after Titian» which was created from a postcard of the picture in 1960 - I think.
There is an exhibition of his watercolors on at the Louvre but the section was closed yesterday when I attempted to go and from the look of security, I think it may have been for a «pretty serious» reason.
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