Sigmar Polke's“Poison Paradise” Explored By Kenny Schachter

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Artist Sigmar Polke deliberately used toxic and unstable chemical compounds in his paintings, embracing unpredictability and often creating works designed to degrade over time. Art critic Kenny Schachter examined Polke's provocative methods and philosophy in a recent article.

Polke, known for his experimental approach and sardonic humor, incorporated elements such as photographic developers in the 1960s and 1970s. He later integrated arsenic, lead, mercury, cobalt(II)-chloride, copper oxide, and various solvents into his canvases after extensive travels through Asia and the Middle East, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Thailand, Indonesia, Tasmania, and Turkey, in 1974 and 1980.

His“Athanor” series, named after an alchemical furnace, was presented as Germany's national pavilion at the 1986 Venice Biennial, where Polke received the prestigious Golden Lion award. These reactive compositions shifted in color and tone based on temperature, touch, humidity, and lighting, challenging the conventional idea of static artworks. Polke's“Athanor” works appeared as traditional canvases but functioned more like living laboratory experiments.

The artist expressed his indifference to the longevity of his work, stating in a 1995 interview with Kristine McKenna for the Los Angeles Times:“Yes, my works too are enshrined in museums, but I don't care if the pieces fall apart in 20 years.” He also reflected on his artistic process in a 1997 interview with Martin Hentschel:“It's the procedures in and of themselves that interest me. The picture is not really necessary. The unforeseeable is what turns out to be interesting.”

Polke rarely granted interviews and avoided public self-promotion, a stark contrast to many contemporary artists. In a video interview with historian and curator Bice Curiger, he maintained:“People should think for themselves. I don't have to explain my paintings to them.”

Source: Artnet News

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