Lot 634 D

The present work from 1999 succinctly illustrates how intricately Sigmar Polke experiments with forms and colours. The artist combines different painting styles and techniques, which he has embraced over decades of his artistic work. The work shows both fine, clear as well as roughly drawn lines, flow structures of generously applied colour areas, individual, sprayed colour elements and of course his characteristic grid dots. 'His [Polke's] “abstract” painting reproduces natural processes and regularities with analogously controlled painting materials. By oscillating between amorphous and developing forms, with motivic abbreviations and initiated chemical processes, he alludes to natural phenomena. If the apparently still changing, open flowing forms are combined with brush drawings, grid motifs, fabric patterns or transparent supports, they are definable either as natural or as an equivalent for on-going, open processes in the general sense, for example as mental processes such as memories, as historical transformation processes or alchemistic processes. The flowing forms are always determined by content, the image content always also finds its counterpart on a material level.' (Anita Shah, Die Dinge zu sehen wie sie sind, Zu Sigmar Polkes malerischem Werk seit 1981, Weimar 2001, p.162).