Saturday, May 01, 2010

Kiefer's Hoffman von Fallersleben auf Helgoland

I first saw Anselm Kiefer's work in the downtown LA Museum of Modern Art. These huge, dense, dark heavy paintings sunk their hooks into me, so CS, I did know Kiefer before this week, but only through chance. In any case, I was pleased to see him again. I realize that the folks out there who need things to be very straightforward and obvious might not see the point of all this. But music doesn't have to be literal and usually isn't. Visual artists may want to create a mood rather than an object.






(Yes the jet is his too.)  Hoffman is the big work in the back.  I didn't say painting because it's much more than a painting as you can see below.


Hauseneptun helps us understand this title:  
The poet Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben stayed on Helgoland in the year 1841 and wrote here "Das Lied der Deutschen". This became first the national anthem of the "Weimarer Republik" and later those of the Federal Republik of Germany.
Here's Hoffman much closer.  In person, it does appear as though there is a boat on water and we're looking up at it from way below.  At least that's what I felt.

1 comment:

  1. Well, of course I love the photos of art galleries etc. Thank you! Work is always so much better in person, but seeing your posts is like going to a very familiar place. By the way, I have that Beuys book you wanted... you can borrow it. It's way too heavy to lug around. Take care, CS

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