Anslem Kiefer Fur Paul Celan Aschenblume

The digital reproduction of Anslem Kiefer’s work cannot prepare anyone for the experience of seeing these paintings in the flesh.

I first saw the work of Anslem Kiefer at the French Pompidou Centre, Paris, 2016, I was awestruck by the emotion generated by the pieces, particularly, Für Paul Celan: Aschenblume, 2006.   I felt the scope and magnitude of the emotion in the work instantly .

The sheer size of the work is the first thing that I found thrilling, I could stand at a distance from the painting and view it as a real view into a bleak and devastated world as if I had seen everything happen from a window.   I moved toward the painting and felt like I was going to step inside, be immersed in the snow and ash coated soil, the cold bleakness of a post war, post holocaust world. Kiefer says “Art is difficult….,” “It’s not entertainment.”.

I was totally absorbed by the materials used,  mud, ash and  books.  The fact that material was coming away from the work falling onto the pristine gallery floor. This piece of work was  a reflection on Paul Celan’s post Holocaust poetry. When standing in front of this magnificent work, the sense of the pain the suffering screams at you. Up close to the painting I became focused on individual brush strokes the placing of the burnt books, the enormity of the task became real in terms of the actual work that went into the piece.