Dead 1

(Tote 1)

1988. Oil on Canvas
62 cm X 73 cm

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Dead 2

(Tote 2)

1988. Oil on Canvas
62 cm X 62 cm

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Dead 3

(Tote 3)

1988. Oil on Canvas
35 cm X 40 cm

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These three paintings are alternately-sized versions of the same source photo. The original image is of the dead body of Ulrike Meinhof, who hung herself in her Stammheim prison cell on Mother's Day in 1976. The original image is shocking, graphic, and gruesome; her neck having been cut through by the home-made cord she used to end her life. These images are also unique in the cycle; they represent an event that occurred more than a year before October 18, 1977. They contrast sharply from the warm, wistful image of the first painting in the series, a glamour shot of a younger Ulrike Meinhof.

 

Original Source Image

 

 

"October 18, 1977"

An Exhibit by Gerhard Richter

In the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York City, NY

Buy the Book (Amazon US)
Buy the Book(Amazon Germany)
Gerhard Richter: October 18, 1977
by Robert Storr
Published by The Museum of Modern Art
152 Pages, hardbound

This book is extraordinary. It offers intriguing detail about Richter's art, detailed, footnoted background on the Baader-Meinhof era, and in-depth analysis of the "October 18, 1977" cycle. The book could be considered a full-length justification for MOMA's extraordinary and costly purchase of Richter's cycle. I think the book makes its case beautifully.

Note: the book is out of print, but people can often find used copies through the Amazon link for a reasonable price. The German version is still in print and used and new versions are available from the Amazon Germany link

-- Richard Huffman