Martin Kippenberger: The Problem Perspective
The Martin Kippenberger exhibition: The Problem Perspective is organized
by The Museum of Contemporary Art of Los Angeles (MOCA). This exhibition is
currently showing in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) in New York City, the
first museum dedicated to the modern and contemporary arts.
The Martin Kippenberger exhibition is situated on MoMa's sixth floor. At
the entrance you will find a wall with pictures of Martin Kippenberger and in the
center an introduction of his work that says “"Everything in moderation,"
counseled by Aristotle. Kippenberger never got this message, as a good friend
pointed out after the artist's death at the age of forty-four in 1997.” 1Martin
Kippenberger dedicated his life to his work; his dedication and passion made him
live for his art. The introduction mentioned that Kippenberger’s art career was
based in his native country of Germany, but he worked and got his inspiration
from many great cities such as Florence, Madrid, Vienna, New York, Los
Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Syros and Yukon, cities that are exotic and well-known
throughout the world. It also mentions his commitment to his twenty-year career
in which he showed dedication and hard work.
The other section of the exhibition showcased a car in the center of the
room, surrounded by acrylic paintings on canvas. The exhibition includes
paintings, photography and sculptures, which help to understand artwork from
the late twentieth century. The Museum also offers a series of lectures about the
exhibition throughout the month of May.
Martin Kippenberger. Untitled from the series Dear Painter, Paint for Me
This painting captured my attention, because it represents any corner in
New York City. The mailbox and the garbage bags also intrigue me, and the
sofa could represent the life-style in a large and very hectic city. The man on the
sofa looks to me like he had a long day at work. He looks like a businessman
who is tired of his hectic life and he just needed to rest and think for a little while.
He seemed to have found a sofa in the middle of the city and he decided to rest
and relax. The painting is not titled and it is from the series Dear Painter, Paint
for Me (1981). It is made with acrylic on canvas and is 8’ 2” x 9’ 10" in size. The
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"Museum of Modern Art" MOMA. . 7 May 2009 <http://www.moma.org/>.
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painting reflects a hard and tiring day in the lives of men and women living in a
demanding society, which is increasingly harder to fit in.
Martin Kippenberger. Untitled from the series Dear Painter, Paint for Me (Ohne title aus
der serie Lieber Maler, male mir), 1981. Acrylic on canvas, 8’ 2 ½” x 9’ 10 1/2 in. The Museum of
Modern Art. Promised gift of Steven and Alexandra Cohen. © Estate Martin Kippenberger,
Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne
Martin, Into the Corner, You Should be Ashamed of Yourself
This sculpture captured lots of attention. I thought it was one of the nicest
pieces this exhibition contained. Roberta Smith described the artist as "an
iconoclastic artist who loved controversy and confrontation and combined
irreverence with a passion for art.” It made me think that this work represented
Kippenberger himself being punished for his disrespect. This art piece consists
of life-sized, cast-iron male figures, one located in each corner.
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In my opinion, the exhibition was nice, but it was a little hard for me to
understand what the author wanted to transmit. I felt that his pictures were too
general and I don’t think he focused on one specific subject. He seemed to be a
very open-minded person and through his work he tried to show the different
aspects of our society. He used big cities as an inspiration and he focused on
major events. There were photographs of wars, gay people, and hunger, in other
words a diversity of issues, which he observed in the societies he lived in.
Overall, I learned about modern art which is very different from the art I am used
to seeing. It was a new experience that helped me grow intellectually.
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