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Folding Dryer

Faltbarer Trockner
Folding Dryer

1962 99.3 cm x 78.6 cm Catalogue Raisonné: 4

Oil on canvas

The painting Folding Dryer depicts a clipping of a newspaper advertisement for a drying rack. Gerhard Richter reproduced the advertising photograph, a part of the descriptive text as well as the light-coloured background of the newspaper page. The square photograph shows a dark-haired woman demonstrating the handling of the drying rack by hanging a cloth on the line. Below the photograph, slightly shifted to the left, a black border frames the caption Faltbarer Trockner and some practical information about the measurements and the price of 8,70 DM, which is cropped in the painting. In places the painting appears to be rendered sketchily. The face of the woman resembles a mask; her blouse and skirt on the right side are smudged into the background.

The source image of this painting is included on sheet 10 of Gerhard Richter's Atlas. The format of the newspaper clipping is almost consistent with the detail depicted in the painting. The text of the advertisement however, shows discrepancies between painting and source image: Richter modified the text “5,60 m Trockenlänge bei geringem Platzverbrauch” [5.60 m drying length, less space required] to “5,60 m Trockenlängen!” adding an incorrect plural as well as an exclamation mark. When transferring the advertisement onto canvas, Richter divided the image into squares, which can still be seen in the source image in Atlas.

Gerhard Richter describes why he was interested in the motif as follows: “I didn't find the clothes-dryer ironic; there was something tragic about it, because it represented life in low-cost housing with nowhere to hang the washing. It was my own clothes-dryer, which I rediscovered in a newspaper – objectivized, as it were.”1

Gerhard Richter's preoccupation with everyday objects and advertisements was influenced by the ideas of Pop Art, but goes beyond. As the quote shows, socio-critical aspects also had an effect on Richter's choice of motif. One year before he created this painting, Richter moved from the GDR to West Germany. The examination of the capitalist West as well as Richter's own search for his place in society are mirrored in such paintings as Folding Dryer.
 

1 Interview with Sabine Schütz, 1990 in: Gerhard Richter: Text. Writings, Interviews and Letters 1961–2007, Thames & Hudson, London, 2009, p. 253.

 

Notes prepared by editorial team

Froehlich Collection, Stuttgart, Germany

This artwork is based on an image included in Atlas:

This artwork was shown in the following exhibitions:

This artwork is included in the following publications:

Title
Author
Date
Gerhard Richter: Painting After All
Wagstaff, Sheena / Buchloh, Benjamin H. D.
2020

Publisher

Yale University Press, New Haven

Details

Hardback, 269 pages

ISBN

9781588396853

Language

English

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Notes

This catalogue was published on the occasion of the exhibition "Gerhard Richter: Painting After All", 4 March 2020 - 5 July 2020, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and 14 August 2020 - 19 January 2021, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

Exhibitions

More Details
Gerhard Richter
Elger, Dietmar / Fajt, Jiří
2017

Publisher

The National Gallery in Prague, Prague

Details

Softcover, 205 pages

ISBN

9788070356463

Language

English

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

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Gerhard Richter: The Life of Images
Hawker, Rosemary
2017

Publisher

Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland

Details

Hardback, 159 pages

ISBN

9781921503870

Language

English

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

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German Pop
Hollein, Max / Weinhart, Martina / Niggl, Selima / Rübel, Dietmar / Bayrle, Thomas / Block, René / Schleiffenbaum, Lea / Müller, Helmut
2014

Publisher

Walther König, Köln

Details

Hardback, 247 pages

ISBN

9783863356484

Language

German

Category

Group Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

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Gerhard Richter: Panorama: Retrospektive
Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille / Borchardt-Hume, Achim / Dickson, Amy / Haidu, Rachel / Mehring, Christine
2012

Publisher

Prestel, München

Editor

Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille

Details

Hardback, 305 pages

ISBN

9783791351896

Language

German

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

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Gerhard Richter, Panorama: une rétrospective = a retrospective
Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille / Borchardt-Hume, Achim / Dickson, Amy / Haidu, Rachel / Mehring, Christine
2012

Publisher

Édition du Centre Pompidou, Paris

Editor

Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille

Details

Hardback, 304 pages

ISBN

978-2844265746, 284426574X

Language

French, English

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

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Gerhard Richter. Landschaften
Butin, Hubertus / Bätschmann, Oskar / Elger, Dietmar
2011

Publisher

Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit

Details

Hardback, 192 pages

ISBN

9783775726382

Language

German

Category

Monographs

...

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Gerhard Richter. Bilder einer Epoche
Schneede, Uwe M. / Butin, Hubertus / Elger, Dietmar / Rübel, Dietmar / Westheider, Ortrud
2011

Publisher

Hirmer Verlag, München

Details

Hardback, 214 pages

ISBN

9783777434513

Language

German

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

Gerhard Richter. Bilder einer Epoche was published on the occasion of the exhibition at Bucerius Kunstforum in Hamburg in 2011. Both the exhibition and the catalogue focus on Richter’s paintings of the 1960s

...
More Details
Gerhard Richter: Panorama: A Retrospective
Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille / Borchardt-Hume, Achim / Dickson, Amy / Haidu, Rachel / Mehring, Christine
2011
Gerhard Richter. Images of an Era
Schneede, Uwe M. / Butin, Hubertus / Elger, Dietmar / Rübel, Dietmar / Westheider, Ortrud
2011

Publisher

Hirmer Publishers, Munich copublished by Heni Publishing, London and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, NY and Paris

Details

Hardback, 214 pages

ISBN

9783777450018

Language

English

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

Gerhard Richter. Images of an Era was published on the occasion of the exhibition at Bucerius Kunstforum in Hamburg in 2011. Both the exhibition and the catalogue focus on Richter’s paintings of the 1960s

...
More Details
Gerhard Richter. Landscapes
Butin, Hubertus / Bätschmann, Oskar / Elger, Dietmar
2011

Publisher

Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern-Ruit

Details

Hardback, 192 pages

ISBN

9783775726399

Language

English

Category

Monographs

...

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Die Porträts von Gerhard Richter
Moorhouse, Paul
2009

Publisher

DuMont, Köln

Details

Hardback, 176 pages

ISBN

9783832191542

Language

German

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

The catalogue of the exhibition Gerhard Richter. Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, London in 2009 focuses on Richter's portraiture.

...
More Details
Gerhard Richter. Portraits. Painting Appearances
Moorhouse, Paul
2009

Publisher

National Portrait Gallery Publications, London

Details

Hardback, 176 pages

ISBN

9781855143975

Language

English

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

The catalogue of the exhibition Gerhard Richter. Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, London in 2009 focuses on Richter's portraiture.

...
More Details
Gerhard Richter. A Life in Painting
Elger, Dietmar
2009

Publisher

University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL

Details

Hardback, 408 pages

ISBN

9780226203232

Language

English

Category

Monographs

Gerhard Richter has been widely regarded as a publicity shy artist. However, the biography Gerhard Richter. A Life in Painting gives an insight into Richter’s personal history as well as into the development of his artistic œuvre.

...
More Details
Gerhard Richter. Bilder aus privaten Sammlungen
Adriani, Götz / Schwarz, Dieter
2008

Publisher

Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit

Details

Hardback, 184 pages

ISBN

9783775721363

Language

German

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

The catalogue Gerhard Richter: Bilder aus privaten Sammlungen was published to coincide with exhibitions in Baden-Baden, Beijing, Edinburgh, Vienna and Duisburg in 2008 and 2009.

...
More Details
Gerhard Richter, Maler
Elger, Dietmar
2008

Publisher

DuMont, Köln

Details

Softcover, 415 pages

ISBN

9783832190651

Language

German

Category

Monographs

Notes

Corrected and extended new edition.

Gerhard Richter has been widely regarded as a publicity shy artist. However, the biography Gerhard Richter, Maler gives an insight into Richter’s personal history as well as into the development of his artistic œuvre.

...
More Details
Gerhard Richter. Ohne Farbe = Without Color
Spieler, Reinhard / Gelshorn, Julian / Kania, Elke / Krystof, Doris
2005

Publisher

Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit / Museum Franz Gertsch, Burgdorf

Details

Hardback, 96 pages

ISBN

9783775715836

Language

German, English

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

More Details
Gerhard Richter, Maler
Elger, Dietmar
2002

Publisher

DuMont, Köln

Details

Hardback, 420 pages

ISBN

9783832158484

Language

German

Category

Monographs

Gerhard Richter has been widely regarded as a publicity shy artist. However, the biography Gerhard Richter, Maler gives an insight into Richter’s personal history as well as into the development of his artistic œuvre.

...
More Details
Gerhard Richter. Drawings 1964-1999. Catalogue Raisonné
Schwarz, Dieter / Pelzer, Birgit
2000

Publisher

Richter Verlag, Düsseldorf

Details

Hardback, 340 pages

ISBN

9783933807045

Language

English

Category

Monographs

This catalogue raisonné of Gerhard Richter's drawings encompasses works in pencil, India ink, ballpoint pen, and other drawing media, on both paper and canvas since 1964.

...
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Text: Schriften und Interviews
Richter, Gerhard / Obrist, Hans Ulrich
1993

Publisher

Insel Verlag, Frankfurt a. M.

Details

Softcover, 277 pages

ISBN

3458165606

Language

German

Category

Monographs

...

More Details
Kunst ist Kunst ist Kunst. Der Galerie-Verein München, 1965-1990. Eine Auswahl der Sammlung in der Staatsgalerie moderner Kunst und in der Staatlichen Graphischen Sammlung
Goedl, Monika / Sonnenburg, Hubertus F. von / Bischoff, Ulrich / Schulz-Hoffmann, Carla / Rein, Ingrid / Sattler, Katharina / Holler, Wolfgang / Falk, Tilman
1990

Publisher

Galerie-Verein, München

Details

Hardback, Volume I (87), Volume II (253) pages

Language

German

Category

Group Exhibitions

Notes

Vol. 1: Bilder und Objekte in der Staatsgalerie Moderner Kunst München
Vol. 2: Zeichnungen und Druckgraphik in der Staatlichen Graphischen Sammlung München

Exhibitions

...

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Gerhard Richter: Atlas
Zweite, Armin
1989
Bilderstreit. Widerspruch, Einheit und Fragment in der Kunst seit 1960
Gohr, Siegfried / Gachnang, Johannes
1989

Publisher

DuMont, Köln

Details

Hardback, 544 pages

ISBN

3770123727

Language

German

Category

Group Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

More Details
Zeichenkunst der Gegenwart. Sammlung Prinz Franz von Bayern
Holler, Wolfgang
1988

Publisher

Prestel, München

Details

Softcover, 247 pages

ISBN

3791309722

Language

German

Category

Group Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

More Details
Gerhard Richter. Bilder = Paintings 1962 - 1985
Harten, Jürgen / Hering, Karl-Heinz / Honisch, Dieter / Loock, Ulrich / Ronte, Dieter / Elger, Dietmar
1986
1945-1985. Kunst in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Bartmann, Dominik / Grisebach, Lucius / Honisch, Dieter / Schmitz, Britta / Schneider, Angela / Schweinebraden Freiherr von Wichmann-Eichhorn, Jürgen / Svestka, Jiri / Bischoff, Ulrich / Calvocoressi, Richard / Baron Döry, Ludwig / Grochowiak, Thomas / Honnef, Klaus / Wedewer, Rolf
1985

Publisher

Nicolai, Berlin

Details

Softcover, 732 pages

ISBN

3875841581

Language

German

Category

Group Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

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Aspekte der 60er Jahre. Aus der Sammlung Reinhard Onnasch
Honisch, Dieter / Onnasch, Reinhard / Lindenberg, Ilona
1978

Publisher

Nationalgalerie Berlin, Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin

Details

Softcover, 144 pages

ISBN

3496010037

Language

German

Category

Group Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

More Details
Gerhard Richter
Honnef, Klaus
1976

Publisher

Verlag Aurel Bongers, Recklinghausen

Details

Hardback, 72 pages

ISBN

3764702877

Language

German

Category

Monographs

Notes

Monographien zur rheinisch-westfälischen Kunst der Gegenwart, Volume 50.

...

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Gerhard Richter. 36. Biennale di Venezia, Padiglione tedesco = 36. Biennale in Venedig, Deutscher Pavilion = 36. Biennale in Venice, German Pavilion
Honisch, Dieter / Helms, Dietrich / Honnef, Klaus / Ohff, Heinz / Dienst, Rolf Gunther / Schön, Rolf / Polke, Sigmar
1972

Publisher

Museum Folkwang, Essen

Details

Hardback, 154 pages

Language

Italian, German, English

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

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Gerhard Richter. Arbeiten 1962-1971
Hering, Karl-Heinz / Helms, Dietrich
1971

Publisher

Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf

Details

Softcover, 136 pages

Language

German

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

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