Munich. Gerhard Richter, one of the most renowned
contemporary painters, has had an enduring influence on the art world.
His “Red – Yellow – Blue“ group is a fascinating series of paintings;
brushstrokes opulently enlarged, combining colour and form in a
harmonious yet challenging way. For 50 years, they have been the
centrepiece of the entrance foyer of the BMW four-cylinder
headquarters building, Karl Schwanzer’s architectural icon – arguably
the world’s most spectacular corporate lobby. The paintings have been
extensively restored to mark this anniversary and are newly presented
in specially designed glass showcases.
The BMW Group commissioned the comprehensive restoration of this
impressive group of works as part of its long-term commitment to
culture and art. The latest technologies and techniques were used to
restore the original brilliance and intensity of Richter’s colours
while respecting the integrity of his original vision. From now on,
the paintings will be presented in specially built UV-protected and
air-conditioned glass showcases that meet modern conservation
standards, yet recreate the presentation originally envisaged by the artist.
“Gerhard Richter’s art inspires, provokes and stimulates us to think
in fresh ways that transcend the limitations of colour and form,” says
Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW
AG, Human Resources and Real Estate. “We are proud to
present his group of works in our Headquarters in a new way which
honors their significance. Richter’s paintings are the nucleus of our
50-year-long commitment to international culture, reason enough on its
own for them to be so very close to our hearts.”
Richter’s works were often created from photographs of colour samples
that he had personally mixed on a palette. The three “Red – Yellow –
Blue” large-format paintings, which Richter created in 1973 for BMW
Headquarters in Munich, are highlights of this artistic approach. The
group of works, never shown outside the foyer, marks the first
conclusion of Richter’s exploration of the palette motif. He
subsequently also concentrated on abstract painting, which resulted
from mixing the three primary colours on the canvas, or on paintings
in which he created lively pictorial surfaces with grey structures.
Richter’s work is often formulated from photographic originals
collected in his “Atlas”, a collection of photographs, collages, and
sketches that he has amassed since 1962 and which is housed in the
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus in Munich.
Dr Matthias Mühling, director of the
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus und Kunstbau in Munich,
adds: “Gerhard Richter’s ‘Red – Yellow – Blue’ represents a
significant exploration of the possibilities and limits of painting.
Richter explores the very essence of painting itself by using the
three primary colours that form the basis of all other colours. The
group shows his ongoing exploration of abstraction and figuration, and
how these two poles of painting can influence and inform each other.
Richter makes us realise through these works that painting is both a
means of representing and abstracting reality and challenges us to
rethink our own ideas of what painting can be.”
The restoration of the three-by-six-metre “Red – Yellow – Blue”
paintings is a remarkable undertaking that calls for the use of modern
technologies and techniques. Richter’s artworks had lost some of their
colour brilliance over the years. Therefore the restoration’s main aim
was to restore the original depth of colour and unity of these
masterpieces. A team of experts, including art historians, material
scientists and restorers, used innovative techniques to tackle this
formidable task and create an authentic restoration plan.
“It took precision, care, and patience to restore the three
large-scale paintings. The original substance was extensively
conserved and restored in the process. Fine colour transitions and
nuances were restored using specially developed colour blends. The
original depth of colour and unity is once again revealed and Gerhard
Richter’s impressive work brought to life again for BMW,” explains
restorer Ekkehard Kneer.
The first publication on the group of works was the volume “Gerhard
Richter. Red – Yellow – Blue. The Paintings for BMW” from Prestel
Publishing in 2007. It illustrates the development of Richter’s
pictorial motifs and poses questions about modernism and the
transition to postmodernism. The context of the paintings and the
history of the location – the BMW Group plant in Munich, the Olympic
grounds, and BMW Headquarters – is also explored.
