拍品專文
"R-Problem I" is one of the first paintings Penck painted after his move from West Germany to London after having spent the first 25 years of his career in Eastern Germany.
It is a brilliant example of his spontaneous painting. His brush strokes are put down on the canvas immediately, as if he didn't have the time to think, or as if the momentary inspiration might pass too soon without being used. He does not seem to have the patience to mix the colours; nor does he try to fill up the remaining areas of blank canvas. The proportions of signs and figures are ignored in favour of an overall composition, which in turn appears to follow the laws of chance rather than a deliberate principle of construction.
Penck's painting is expressive. However, unlike other "Neue Wilde" artists, Penck was not merely trying to reiterate the ideas of early 20th century Expressionist painting. Instead, his was an attempt to develop a new mode of expression that would capture the preoccupations of his own age.
Ironically, to achieve this, he employed symbols and signs that hark back to many different ages and civilisations. Some originate from cave painting, as in the case of R-Problem I, where primal, stick-men are confronted with modern day symbols of technology and traffic. Others refer to ancient and exotic rituals of worship, evoked through ideographic writings or abstract alphabets. Never graphically precise, they are difficult to decipher and often provide little else but a basic pattern for the free movement of the brush stroke.
It is a brilliant example of his spontaneous painting. His brush strokes are put down on the canvas immediately, as if he didn't have the time to think, or as if the momentary inspiration might pass too soon without being used. He does not seem to have the patience to mix the colours; nor does he try to fill up the remaining areas of blank canvas. The proportions of signs and figures are ignored in favour of an overall composition, which in turn appears to follow the laws of chance rather than a deliberate principle of construction.
Penck's painting is expressive. However, unlike other "Neue Wilde" artists, Penck was not merely trying to reiterate the ideas of early 20th century Expressionist painting. Instead, his was an attempt to develop a new mode of expression that would capture the preoccupations of his own age.
Ironically, to achieve this, he employed symbols and signs that hark back to many different ages and civilisations. Some originate from cave painting, as in the case of R-Problem I, where primal, stick-men are confronted with modern day symbols of technology and traffic. Others refer to ancient and exotic rituals of worship, evoked through ideographic writings or abstract alphabets. Never graphically precise, they are difficult to decipher and often provide little else but a basic pattern for the free movement of the brush stroke.