Anselm Kiefer

Anselm Kiefer's works are full of layers, textures, depths and history. His paintings almost rise off the canvas and some contain artefacts relating to the subject of the paintings. The way he draws with twigs, dust, lead, steel, dried flowers and even chairs really interests me as its something I've been looking at doing as part of my journey project. 

This image, 'Mulberry Bush', 2005, shows his use of other materials. As well as using oils, emulsions, acrylic and charcoal Kiefer has used brambles, hair and even earth in the final painting. But is it a painting or a sculpture made on canvas? Either way its full of inspiration to me. The way he makes the image disappear into the distance towards the dark sky and the tree stumps getting smaller give it great depth and the use of a real bush at the front really adds to this. 

Kiefer concentrates a lot of his paintings on the works of the poet Paul Celan and the issues and themes he wrote about. The paintings work as a visual reference to the poets works. In the above image you see Celan's name written across the top right hand corner. His poems influenced the artist massively. 

One painting that really stands out to me is 'The Only Light', 2005, 330 x 570 cm, painted with oil, acrylic, emulsion, shellac, wooden chairs, burnt twigs and lead boat. 

This enormous painting looks at the history of Germany, the holocaust and the end of the war. The image seems to suggest rows of graves or bodies and the cold snow/ash covered grey earth suggests something or someone being burned. The barren landscape is both beautiful and saddening to look at.