Insight into the minds of two of the art worlds most esteemed figures: Richter, widely considered one of the greatest artists of our time, and Obrist, the preeminent commentator on and curator of contemporary art
Now in a compact hardback edition with a revised preface by Hans Ulrich Obrist and a special cover drawing by Gerhard Richter, this volume collects together a series of conversations between Obrist and Richter over the course of more than two decades of discussion and collaboration. Subjects range from Richters place within art history to artists books, architecture, religion, unrealized projects and his advice for young artists. The collection also includes a previously unpublished interview focused on Richters much-lauded window for Cologne Cathedral, unveiled in 2007.
Obrists vast knowledge and interrogating mind coupled with his long-standing friendship with Richter make him a unique interlocutor for an artist whose work spans more than 60 years and ranges from painting and photography to glass, printmaking, watercolor and books. Obrist deftly guides the reader through a dazzling array of topics and offers an invaluable historical perspective on Richters place within the art world of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Illustrations of discussed artworks by Richter feature throughout the texts for visual reference, making this an indispensable guide to the thinking and creative processes of one of the worlds most admired artists.
Hans Ulrich Obrist (b. 1968) is a world-renowned curator and the artistic director of the Serpentine Galleries in London. Alongside his curatorial practice, Obrist has written extensively on and around contemporary art, with a particular interest in the interview format.
Gerhard Richter (b. 1932) was born in Dresden, Germany. He studied at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and then the Düsseldorf Art Academy. His work has been the subject of exhibitions internationally, including touring retrospectives at the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf; Tate, London; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, among many others. Richter has experimented with sculpture, photography, drawing and, notably, painting. Aided by the diversity of his media, the artist has continuously examined the nature of imagery, highlighting in particular the contingency of representation.
