Anselm Kiefer: Quotes about art

Anselm Kiefer is German painter and sculptor. Explore interesting quotes on art.

Anselm Kiefer: 40 quotes1 like

“There is a reciprocal action between the work of art and the viewer. The river changes the work of art and criticism can also change the artist... There are so many ideas afloat; any of them could have triggered the work of art. It is impossible to determine exactly if the idea has been transmitted by the critic, or if the work itself has determined its outcome..”

(1986) n.p.
Structures are no longer valid', in "Ein Gespräch..."

“I want to say something about Picasso as a revolutionary. A revolution in the history of art is a reflection of the history of society. Art cannot revolutionize society. It is a reflection of that revolution.. You [= Joseph Beuys ] talking in the same interview] have revolutionized art. But I do not see that you have revolutionized society directly. You have depicted what has not yet existed.... art and life are not two separate realms, but they have shifted out of phase with each other.”

(1986) n.p.
Structures are no longer valid', in "Ein Gespräch..."

“I used my self, my body [in his art] as an instrument.... not only my body but also my spirit.... as an instrument to research something.”

n.p.
Tim Marlow joins Anselm Kiefer to discuss his work' - 2005

“In 1968 the end of art was announced, but this was for political reasons and for the wrong reasons. At that time it was believed that as long as there were only formal relationships, one did not have to deal with a luxury such as art.”

(1986) n.p.
Structures are no longer valid', in "Ein Gespräch..."

“What fascinates me about Duchamp is the idea of tearing down the wall between the art object and reality.”

Source: "Anselm Kiefer and the Philosophy of Martin Heidegger" Matthew Biro, Cambridge University Press 1998, p. 304

“When I went to school [art-school - Joseph Beuys was one of his art teachers and a very inspiring one] there was Pop Art. The Americans dismissed us from our responsibilities. They mailed us Care packages and Democracy. The search for our own identity was postponed. After the 'time of misfortune' as it has been called euphemistically, one thought in 1946 to begin anew. Even now we talk about the 'Point Zero'. But that is not possible; this is nonsense. The past is tabulated because to confront it would necessitate denial and disgust..”

(1986) n.p.
Structures are no longer valid', in "Ein Gespräch..."