For some artists, the Cold War invited confrontations with Germany's Nazi past history and the ideological divisions that shaped their present.
1980–today
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An interview with Anselm Kiefer
SFMOMA talks with German artist Anselm Kiefer about exploring the past and materials in his work
Sigmar Polke, Watchtower series
Cheap fabric with a garish print becomes an eerie specter of surveillance thanks to some creative chemistry.
Gerhard Richter, Uncle Rudi
Richter toys with both visual and ethical clarity in this evocative, ambiguous painting of an uncle lost to WWII.
Gerhard Richter, Betty
Hyperreal paintings like “Betty” are just one part of Richter’s practice, which resists stylistic classification.
Gerhard Richter, The Cage Paintings (1-6)
John Cage and Richter never met, but there was a kinship between these two artists with diverse practices.
Gerhard Richter, September
Richter revives the genre of history painting in the 21st century in this work showing the events of 9/11.
Anselm Kiefer, Bohemia Lies by the Sea
Is this a painting or a relief sculpture? Unclear. Whatever it is, Kiefer’s landscape is falling apart.
