Introduction
Sigmar Polke is an artist whose work defies easy definitions. He
is one of the most significant painters of the post-war generation,
yet his career has by no means been confined to painting. Since
the early 1960s Polke has experimented with a wide range of styles
and subject matter, bringing together imagery from contradictory
or unexpected sources, both historical and contemporary, and using
a variety of different materials and techniques. In fact Polke’s
artistic diversity, and his resistance to any form of categorisation,
has been seen as the only consistent theme in his work.
Exhibition
Sigmar Polke: History of Everything showcases Polke’s
work over the last six years. The exhibition was initiated by the
Dallas Museum of Art, and organised in close collaboration with
the artist. Polke made several new works in response to the original
Dallas venue, such as paintings of shooting arcades and gun sellers
which refer to the renowned gun culture of the American West. Other
works make references to the role of America in global politics,
perhaps reflecting that the current leader of the world’s
dominant superpower, George Bush, is himself from Texas. Notions
of perception and the authenticity of images, and the boundaries
between abstraction and figuration are also explored throughout
the exhibition.
The presentation at Tate Modern also includes a significant
number of works made specifically for London. These range from new
examples of his ‘Machine Painting’ technique, to recent
paintings using imagery from newspapers and magazines. Polke’s
characteristically ironic sense of humour is evident in two large
paintings that show images of nudist colonies, where naked men and
women cavort in the countryside. These works seem to be a witty
reflection upon Britain’s ambivalent attitude to sex.
Sigmar Polke: History of Everything offers
the first chance to see a major new body of work by this internationally
renowned artist.
It is possible to see more of Sigmar Polke’s
work on level 3 at Tate Modern where three galleries have been devoted
to showing drawings, paintings and photographic works from the early
1960s to the 1980s. This display includes generous loans from the
Froehlich Foundation, Stuttgart, with which Tate has a special relationship.
Find out more
Sigmar Polke: History of Everything
Supported by Tate International Council
Exhibition organised by the Dallas Museum of Art
Exhibition support has been provided in part by the Dallas Museum
of Art Contemporary Art Fund through the gifts of an anonymous donor,
Naomi Aberly and Laurence Lebowitz, Arlene and John Dayton, Mr.
and Mrs. Vernon Faulconer, Nancy and Tim Hanley, The Hoffman Family
Foundation, Cindy and Howard Rachofsky, Evelyn P. and Edward W.
Rose, Gay and Bill Solomon, and Gayle and Paul Stoffel
The exhibition in Texas was co-curated by John R.
Lane, Director, and Charles Wylie, Curator of Contemporary Art,
Dallas Museum of Art. The Tate Modern installation is curated by
Vicente Todoli, Director, Tate Modern, assisted by Juliet Bingham,
Assistant Curator. Leaflet text by Jemima Montagu, Interpretation
Curator, Tate Modern.
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