Anselm Kiefer

Anselm Kiefer began his artistic career with a series of photographs known as the "Occupations" (Besetzungen) in the late 1960s. He photographed himself in various European locations, including France, Switzerland, and Italy, performing the Nazi salute while wearing his father's Wehrmacht uniform. This provocative act, documented and later presented in a book, directly confronted Germany's recent past and its suppressed history. Born in Donaueschingen, Germany, in March 1945, just weeks before the end of the Second World War, Kiefer's upbringing was marked by the ruins and collective silence surrounding the war's atrocities. He studied law and Romance languages before turning to art, training with Peter Dreher and Joseph Beuys. His early paintings often depicted desolate, monumental architectural spaces and historical figures, exploring themes of national identity, myth, and the destructive power of ideology. Kiefer is known for his large-scale works and his experimental approach to materials. He often incorporates unexpected elements such as lead, straw, ash, earth, and dried plants into his paintings and sculptures. These materials add physical weight and symbolic layers, transforming the surface into a complex, almost archaeological terrain. His practice frequently draws upon German mythology, ancient history, and poetic references, creating dense visual narratives. In the early 1990s, Kiefer moved to Barjac, France, establishing a vast studio complex where he continued to expand his ambitious projects. Here, he developed large installations and built structures, allowing his work to interact directly with the environment. His art continues to grapple with difficult subjects, examining cycles of destruction and creation, memory, and the human condition. 1. 1945Born in Donaueschingen, Germany in March. 2. 1960Studied law and Romance languages before art. 3. 1960Trained with Peter Dreher. 4. 1960Trained with Joseph Beuys. 5. 1960Began 'Occupations' photo series. 6. 1990Moved to Barjac, France, established studio. Anselm Kiefer is known for his large-scale works and experimental use of materials, such as lead, straw, ash, earth, and dried plants. His art explores themes of national identity, myth, and the destructive power of ideology. Anselm Kiefer's body of work is concerned with German history, myths, and collective memory. It is difficult to name one single "most famous" work. One significant piece is Song of the Wayland (1982). This large-scale painting combines oil, emulsion, straw, photography, and a lead wing on canvas. The title alludes to the myth of Wayland the blacksmith, who, after being crippled by a king, enacts a violent revenge before escaping with self-forged wings. Kiefer links this parable to the destruction of German culture during the Third Reich and the Holocaust. Another important work is the Occupations series (1969), a series of photographs where Kiefer is seen striking the "Sieg Heil" pose in various locations. These images confront aesthetic taboos and resurrect repressed icons of the past. His paintings often incorporate materials like sand, straw, and lead, building up thick, textured surfaces. Kiefer has stated that "painting = burning", and fire is a recurring motif in his art, representing critical and cathartic powers. Anselm Kiefer's prints, like his paintings, explore themes of German history, myth, and culture. Born in 1945, Kiefer began his career confronting Germany's past, including the Holocaust and the Nazi era. His prints often incorporate photographs, woodcuts, watercolour, gouache, and other media. Kiefer's works on paper are not preparatory sketches for larger paintings. Instead, they are finished pieces, sometimes related to his paintings as intermediary studies. He uses them to assess a painting's completeness by creating smaller versions. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Kiefer created many drawings referencing German culture, history, literature, and music. These works some