In 2002 Polke developed a new technique of ‘machine
painting’. These are his first completely mechanically-produced
paintings and are made by tinting and altering images on a computer
and then photographically transferring them onto large sheets of
fabric. Up until this point Polke had rejected mechanical processes,
preferring to explore the visual effects of mechanical technology
by hand. In the 1960s he imitated the dotted effect of commercial
newsprint by painstakingly painting each dot with the rubber at
the end of a pencil.
These dramatically different techniques, one employing
the latest technology and the other devoted to traditional skills
and crafts, reflect the changing role of the artist. Although many
artists are not involved in the physical production of their work,
Polke’s paintings have usually used techniques which are both
time-consuming and physically demanding. In the early 1960s, however,
he ironically claimed that he was instructed by ‘Higher Powers’
to produce a painting, and he later experimented with spontaneous
effects by sparking chemical reactions on canvas. This experimentation
with technique reflects Polke’s ongoing research into questions
of authorship and originality, and their relevance to making art
today.
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