2. Background Born 25 February 1953,Germany Family moves to Essen Spent six years at strict school and shows great artistic talent from a young age. Dreams of being dancer Drops out of school Fired from first job for drug taking Goes to therapy at a farm near Hamburg and is cured Goes to the Hamburg Art academy, quits after 16 semesters Dreams of being an actor Known for wild range of style’s and media, as well as hard-drinking persona. Died aged 44 from liver cancer in 1997
3. Inspiration Art Architecture Music politics history his own life Kafka, “Amerika”
4. The Happy ending of Franz Kafka, America 1972 Based on Kafka’s novel America ‘a circus in town, looking to employ reliable hands, helpers, doers, self-confident handlers and the like. Outside the circus tent, in my imagination, there would be tables and chairs set up for job interviews’- Kippenberger “You develop a gaze so that you can discover it for yourself.”
5. InfluencesAfter being asked “which artist do you feel close to” Kippenberger replied “whenever I see an artist that is good looking, I feel drawnbecause I figure the head perfectly matches the work. But of course that can be boring. Giacometti was very good looking, his sculptures were very good looking, but I still feel there’s something missing.” “As far as Léger goes, I like him absolutely.” “… And Zobernig, I like him a lot. Everyone feels drawn to the remarkable things in life”
19. Leiber Maler, male mir [dear painter, paint for me] 1981 Kippenberger hired a sign painter from Berlin to make paintings based on images he supplied. This being one of his favourite topics Series introduces other favourite topics; equal treatment of commodities ,brashness, culture and himself Kippenberger is in two of the painting’s however partly disguised, you can only see the back of him in this piece and seen from a distance in the other.
21. Heavy Bruschi [Heavy guy] Kippenberger asked assistant to make images from all his catalogues Was unhappy with unfinished canvas’ so had them photographed, printed to original size and then framed He destroyed originals and presented them in skip Creating an idea of relationship between employer and employee Creates a violent seen of destruction that mocks cultural, political and spiritual rebirth, by creating a loop. Making the pictures ‘into a kind of double kitsch’
22. IinstallationderWeissenBilder[ installation of the white painter] 1993 A series of white paintings on canvas Canvases embedded in wall to look like part of the gallery walls Based on a question and answer between kippenberger and a young boy who described kippenberger’s work with positive answers ‘sehr gut’ or very good These descriptions were transferred onto canvas in white paint Installation is made up of 10 paintings in 5 different sizes Critises the plain white gallery spaces that exhibit conceptual art
23. Why Kippenberger is a significant artist in 20th/21st century He produced a wide range of work from the mid 1970’s using a remarkable range of media and never sticking to one particular style. Irony he created in his work by questioning his subjects. His bold concept's behind his work and re-occurring themes such as Playing with the idea that the artist is an individual who’s work is independent Criticizing society, politics, work relationships His performative personality
