Literature

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 that are based on photographical source images. The paintings and photographs, which were predominantly taken from magazines and advertisements of the era, are confronted with each other; Richter’s selective process is illuminated and categorised here.

Letters, which Richter wrote to his artist friends Helmut Heinze and Wieland Förster, can also be read for the first time in this publication, along with photographs of Richter’s studio at the time, and give a strong impression of his work in this period.

The cycle October 18, 1977 completes the works from the 1960s since its creative process refers to the earlier works. A comprehensive examination of the source material that lead to these paintings of members of the terrorist group Red Army Faction has also been carried out.

Contributions by Ortrud Westheider, Uwe M. Schneede, Dietmar Elger, Hubertus Butin and Dietmar Rübel.

Gerhard Richter in der Dresdener Galerie is the 7th volume from the publications of the Gerhard Richter Archive Dresden.

On the occasion of the re-opening of the Albertinum in 2010 the artist himself curated two rooms of the museum. Whereas the first room is dedicated to thirteen paintings from the years 1963 to 2000, the second room presents the work 9 Upright Standing Panes [CR: 879-3], as well as the series of reverse glass paintings Aladdin [CR: 913/1-42].

Text by Dietmar Elger.

The book Gerhard Richter: Volker Bradke, 1966, 16 mm, s/w, 14:32 min. is the sixth volume of publications from the Gerhard Richter Archive, Dresden. It is dedicated to the artist's eponymous film, which is enclosed in the book as a DVD.

As the only work in this medium by Richter, the film was created for the exhibition Volker Bradke that took place on 13th December 1966 at Galerie Schmela in Düsseldorf.
For the purpose of this exhibition Gerhard Richter addressed the person Volker Bradke in different mediums. In addition to photographs, a banner and a large-scale painting Volker Bradke [CR: 133], the film had been screened. Richter transferred one of the stylistic features of his paintings of that time into film: the blurring.
An essay by Hubertus Butin examines the film in the context of this exhibition. He analyses the meaning of blurring in the film, comparing it especially with the blurring in Gerhard Richter's graphic art.

With a preface by Dietmar Elger.

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.
Besides an evaluation of numerous letters and material from the Gerhard Richter archive, the book includes conversations with the artist as well as several of his contemporaries. Dietmar Elger, director of the Gerhard Richter Archive, describes Richter’s daily studio routine and his creative process. Thanks to detailed background information, this book contributes to an understanding of Richter’s art in connection with his life.

This English translation of the biography Gerhard Richter, Maler by Dietmar Elger, published in 2009, was slightly revised for the Anglophone reader.

Gerhard Richter. Texte zu 4900 Farben is the German translation of the Gerhard Richter. 4900 Colours catalogue, which was published to coincide with the 4900 Colours exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery in London in 2008.

The book is the third volume of publications from the Gerhard Richter Archive, Dresden.
This new addition is prefixed by Richter’s own explication of 4900 Colours [CR: 902] and also includes texts from Birgit Pelzer, and Marcus du Sautoy. It is illustrated by installation shots of the Serpentine Gallery show.

Text contributions by Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Peter Gidal, Birgit Pelzer and Marcus du Sautoy.

This issue of the Patrimonia series was published on the occasion of the acquisition of the painting Portrait Dr. Knobloch of 1964 by Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden in 2009. The history of the painting’s origin, which was one of Gerhard Richter’s first commissioned portraits, is analysed in context of his other early portraits. The portraits after passport photos are highlighted especially and compared with portraits by Andy Warhol.

Text contribution by Dietmar Elger, director of the Gerhard Richter Archive Dresden.

The publication Gerhard Richter: Elbe. 31 Monotypien, 1957 is the 4th volume of publications from the Gerhard Richter Archive, Dresden, and is dedicated to 31 monotypes, which Richter created in 1957. Before Richter fled from the GDR in 1961, he left the prints in the safekeeping of a friend.
The works are the result of experiments that Richter had undertook with an ink roller during a printing course. The monotypes appear as abstracted landscapes and foreshadow Richter's later Abstract Paintings.

When Gerhard Richter saw the works again, almost 30 years later, he entitled them Elbe, which is the name of the river running through Dresden. These monotypes are considered to be the earliest officially recognised works by the artist.

With a foreword by Dietmar Elger and a text contribution by Dieter Schwarz.

See all Elbe works here

The book Gerhard Richter. Text. Writings, Interviews and Letters. 1961-2007 presents a selection of Richter’s writings, including personal notes, public statements, interviews and letters. The text relates to all the important stages of his career: his photo paintings, his colour charts, the monochrome paintings and his abstract works.
The book offers the possibility to learn more about the artist’s development, his intentions and techniques. Numerous photographs and a comprehensive appendix provide background information that illuminate Richter’s art and demonstrate his position in the art world.

A German edition of the book has been published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Cologne in 2008.

Gerhard Richter: Bilder 1963 – 2007 is the catalogue published to coincide with the exhibition at the National Art Museum in Beijing in 2008.

Works from the collections Böckmann, Frieder Burda and Ströher, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, as well as from other private collections are highlighted and allow an insight into 40 years of Gerhard Richter's artistic career. The paintings from the years 1963 – 2007 reflect both the history of post-war Germany and the development of Gerhard Richter’s painting.

With contributions by Götz Adriani and Dietmar Elger.

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.
Besides an evaluation of numerous letters and material from the Gerhard Richter archive, the book includes conversations with the artist as well as several of his contemporaries. Dietmar Elger, director of the Gerhard Richter Archive, describes Richter’s daily studio routine and his creative process. Thanks to detailed background information, this book contributes to an understanding of Richter’s art in connection with his life.

This edition of the biography Gerhard Richter, Maler published in 2008 was slightly revised to include details of more recent events in Richter’s life.

Inside the Studio. Erika Kiffl fotografiert Gerhard Richter presents two photographical series that show Richter in his studio.

In 1967 a first series was taken in his studio Fürstenwall in Düsseldorf, which documents mainly the creative process of the picture Diana [CR: 155].
The other series of photographs from 1977, which were taken in his studio in Brückenstraße, show Richter working on abstract paintings. Numerous photographs shed light on the materials he used and his techniques. These rare insights into Richter’s studio routine are accompanied by texts from Dietmar Elger and Ekkehard Mai. In the context of an interview, the photographer highlights the process of taking the photographs.

The exhibition 'Erika Kiffl - Fotografie. Von Ai Weiwei bis Gerhard Richter' at the Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany (07 August 2015 – 18 October 2015) features photographs from this publication showing Gerhard Richter.
 

The book Gerhard Richter. Text 1961 bis 2007. Schriften, Interviews, Briefe presents a selection of Richter’s writings, including personal notes, public statements, interviews and letters.
The text relates to all the important stages of his career: his photo paintings, his colour charts, the monochrome paintings and his abstract works. The book offers the possibility to learn more about the artist’s development, his intentions and techniques. Numerous photographs and a comprehensive appendix provide background information that illuminate Richter’s art and demonstrate his position in the art world.

An English edition of the book has been published by Thames and Hudson in 2009.

This first publication of the Gerhard Richter Archive documents the six-lecture symposium organized by the Archive on 10th February 2007 in celebration of Gerhard Richter's 75th birthday in association with the Institute of Art and Music Science of the Dresden University of Technology.

The book contains the six lectures delivered on that occasion by Hubertus Butin, Dietmar Elger, Dietmar Rübel, Dieter Schwarz, Julia Gelshorn and Gregor Stemmrich, together with an introduction by Jürgen Müller.