Sigmar Polke: Lens Paintings
Sunday, 31 May 2009
“The Lens Paintings are a new development for Sigmar Polke - an artist whose career is characterized by over 40 years of radical invention in painting. The conceptual framework of the Lens Paintings is grounded in theories set forth by Johann Zahn in his 1685 book, Oculus artificialis teledioptricus, sive telescopium (The Teledioptric Artificial Eye, or Telescope). Zahn, a monk in the Premonstrate Order, was an important figure in the development of the camera obscura, and his “teledioptric artificial eye”, a forerunner of the telephoto lens. According to Zahn, every luminous object in the universe varies in appearance depending on the viewer’s position.”
“Polke’s interest in this idea was first manifest in the artist’s commission for the reopening of the Reichstag in Berlin, for which he created a series of large, three-dimensional lightboxes. Lighted from behind, images seen through the grooved surfaces of these lightboxes change as the viewer moves past them. This led Polke to devise a system in his studio allowing him to create, in paint, a corrugated refractive surface that mimics an industrially manufactured lenticular lens. This painted “lens” generates a variety of distortions, mutations and spatial illusions when seen from different viewpoints.”
There are nearly 30 pieces in this collection, all to be shown in Michael Werner Gallery until mid June.
Text and image sourced from Michael Werner Gallery.