German artist Gerhard Richter (b. 1932) is widely regarded as one of the most important painters at work today. His diverse body of work has been exhibited at major institutions worldwide and in 2001, he was given a solo retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. The Cage Paintings, conceived as a single coherent group and first displayed at the Venice Biennale in 2007, pay homage to the American avant-garde composer John Cage (1912-1992), who famously declared “I have nothing to say and I’m saying it.” Richter, equally suspicious of ideologies, shies away from giving psychological interpretations of his paintings, preferring to allow viewers and critics to make up their own minds.
In this strikingly illustrated volume, critic Robert Storr considers the importance of The Cage Paintings within Richter’s practice and within the wider context of abstract art. A series of extraordinary photographs document the development of each of these monumental canvases, giving unique insight into Richter’s artistic approach.
About the Author, Storr, Robert
Robert Storr is an artist, critic, and curator who currently serves as Dean of the Yale University School of Art, where he is also professor of painting. He has lectured at art academies, universities, and museums around the world. From 1990 to 2002 he was a curator in the department of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, where he curated Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting, and in 1997 was the Director of the Venice Biennale. He is the author of numerous catalogues, articles, and books, including monographs on Louise Bourgeois, Gerhard Richter, and Philip Guston.
