Gerhard Richter is one of the most successful contemporary artists. His work is known for being very diverse and having no specific style seems to be his style. His apparent lack of a clear commitment to a style, an opinion, or a political standpoint can also be found in his blur technique which he uses for his paintings from photographic originals: blurring the originally sharp images abstracts them. Richter’s point of view seems to be hidden behind a thin but insurmountable curtain. The blur also keeps the viewer from seeing clear himself, from judging the situation, from taking on a standpoint. The painter has to confront this criticism of having no opinion especially with his political historical subjects, like the paintings “Onkel Rudi /Uncle Rudi” (1965) or “Tante Marianne/ Aunt Marianne” (1965), which show relatives of Richter in the context of Nazi Germany. Apart from these, especially the cycle “October 18, 1977” made onlookers search for the artist’s opinion and intention, as these 15 paintings do not show a political subject represented on the basis of family photographs, like his earlier works. The cycle’s source images are press and police photographs and it deals with the events around the Baader- Meinhof gang, a group of terrorists active in Germany in the 1970s. At the time Richter chose to paint this subject, the events had already passed for more than a decade, which seems like he wanted to say something about it that he felt was missing but essential to close this chapter of history. Viewers and critics are therefore looking for his statement in the painting but cannot find what they expect. The painter is criticized for picking a controversial subject, attracting attention to the issue, raising questions but refusing to offer an opinion and refuse an answer. The artist himself, though, says, that “the political topicality of my October paintings means almost nothing to me” (Richter, 1968, n.p.).
In the following essay I want to concentrate on the blur effect in Richter’s cycle “October, 18 1977”. I will show how the blur changed the effect of the source photographs and that the artist’s statement lies exactly there. When generally “blur” stands for obscuring the clear sight on a subject, this is arguable for the cycle: Through the blur, the viewer here much more gets the chance of a real encounter with these images. This essay will focus on the comparison of the effect of the original photographs and Richter’s version.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Historical Context of the RAF
3. The Ethics of Press Photography vs. Artistic Interpretation
4. Analysis of the Blur Effect in Richter’s Cycle
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This essay explores how Gerhard Richter’s signature blur technique in his painting cycle "October 18, 1977" transforms the reception of historical source photographs, shifting the viewer's engagement from voyeuristic consumption of violence to a deeper, empathetic contemplation of human suffering and historical failure.
- Comparison between journalistic photography and artistic representation
- The role of "blur" in creating emotional and aesthetic distance
- Critique of voyeurism and the ethics of viewing dead bodies
- Analysis of the "October 18, 1977" cycle as an allegory of human tragedy
- The artist's intent to avoid explicit political statement in favor of human experience
Excerpt from the Book
Analysis of the Blur Effect in Richter’s Cycle
Comparing this to Richter’s paintings, “the artist’s use of blurring serves to erase the graphic brutality of the photographs published in the media, and to minimalize the hint of voyeurism” (Elger, 2009, p.284). By painting these images, and by turning their directness into indirectness through the blur effect, Richter corrects the original images. They are put right through the blur because respect returns into the situation, with the new distance to the object. The blur enables us to experience the situation in a different way: It is a means of subsequently building in distance into the situation which helps us to confront the strong images at all. “The artist’s subtle manipulations downplay all the sensational qualities the mass media exploited” (Storr, 2000, p. 106).Viewing Richter’s paintings we do not have to feel like voyeurs anymore, we can bear the situation looking at the dead and confront our thoughts and feelings better than with the overwhelmingly direct originals. “The paintings were based on shocking images, rendered tolerable only through Richter’s transformation” (Elger, 2009, p.300).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the central research question regarding the effect of Richter’s blur technique on the perception of his "October 18, 1977" cycle.
2. The Historical Context of the RAF: Briefly outlines the events surrounding the Red Army Faction members to establish the background of the source imagery.
3. The Ethics of Press Photography vs. Artistic Interpretation: Discusses the voyeuristic nature of original police and press photographs and the ethical problems of their publication.
4. Analysis of the Blur Effect in Richter’s Cycle: Examines how the painting process acts as a tool for abstraction, transforming shocking source material into an allegory of human suffering and failure.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes how Richter successfully avoids political indoctrination to instead invite an empathetic and respectful encounter with the tragic events.
Keywords
Gerhard Richter, October 18 1977, Blur technique, RAF, Red Army Faction, Photography, Voyeurism, Artistic interpretation, Historical memory, Human suffering, Ethics in art, Contemporary painting, Media representation, Aesthetics, Allegory
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on how Gerhard Richter's specific "blur" painting technique changes the viewer's perception of historical press photographs depicting the death of RAF members.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The study navigates themes of art ethics, the role of media in documenting tragedy, the psychological impact of blurred imagery, and the transformation of political history into personal, humanized art.
What is the primary goal of this essay?
The goal is to demonstrate that Richter's use of blur is not a political statement, but an aesthetic intervention that allows viewers to process trauma and death without falling into voyeuristic consumption.
Which scientific or analytical method is utilized?
The essay uses a comparative art-historical analysis, contrasting original journalistic source photographs with Richter's corresponding paintings to highlight the difference in emotional and ethical impact.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the historical background of the RAF, an analysis of the ethical implications of showing dead bodies in the media, and a detailed look at how Richter’s technique "corrects" the brutality of the originals.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Gerhard Richter, blur technique, voyeurism, historical memory, and the "October 18, 1977" cycle.
How does the blur affect the viewer's experience of the paintings?
The blur creates a necessary distance that allows the viewer to contemplate death and human suffering more respectfully, rather than being shocked into a voyeuristic response by the raw, direct nature of the original photographs.
Does Richter express a political opinion through these paintings?
No, the author argues that Richter explicitly avoids taking a political stance; instead, he uses the images to highlight the universal human dilemma of working for a cause and ultimately failing.
- Quote paper
- Sarah Doerfel (Author), 2011, How does the use of Gerhard Richter’s blur technique in his cycle “October 18, 1977” change the effect of the paintings in comparison to the original source images?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/208046
