Martin Kippenberger

I first saw Kippenberger's work at MoMA in 2009 and, at the time, I was uninspired. The work was The Happy Ending from Franz Kafka's 'Amerika' from the exhibit "Problem Perspective." The work was presented in the main atrium of the MoMA and it showcased key pieces from his career. At the time, it seemed like a menagerie of arbitrary works with a chaotic connection. I simply walked away from the work, not dreading how I had missed its point.

Untitled, 1981. Photo Courtesy of MoMA.
(Apparently he hired an artist to paint it.)
http://nymage.com/arts/reviews/54940

What drew me back to Kippenberger's work was Untitled (1981): I came upon this work one Saturday as I glanced through a 20th century portrait catalog at some store in some mall. I was entrapped. Sure, it is photo-realistic, but, most importantly, it is striking. I found myself curious about the scenario. The work was paradoxical- subtle colors to a bold scene; very long depth of field and a singular perspective. 


Upon further research I was stunned to see that Kippenberger's work was so variable.  And,just like The Happy Ending, all his work has an assemblage of meaning amongst the menagerie. 

Oh Boo Hoo, Mr. Pope.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/602383

Kippenberger's work is predominantly loud and I like that the most. His subjects and characters are seemingly dark and sunny. His works seems to reveal not only his emotions, but  also the angst, the compulsiveness, the humor and the numbness of  life: A cascading stream of influences.  I always something I find interesting in his work,  and once interpreted, it is often amusing or thought provoking. 




Kippenberger's work reminds me to be more expressive- less critical of myself, less timid, and much less worried about what people think about me/my work.  Kippenberger was a maniacal artist.  Kippenberger, who pissed off the pope after his death, was certainly confident in what he was doing. He stated "You are not the problem: the problem maker is in your head."  He reminds me to remind myself who I am. I aspire to make my work as clear and limitless through Kippenberger's example. His works have made it clear to me that art is perceivably easy, it's only myself that I have difficulty figuring out. 

Martin, into the Corner, You Should Be Ashamed of Yourself, 1992. Photo Courtesy of MoMA

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A great article on the Problem Persepctive exhibit, along with a lot of information on his life and work. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/arts/design/27kipp.html?_r=1