A. R. Penck - discover artworks

A. R. Penck, alias Ralf Winkler, is one of the most outstanding contemporary artists. Born in Dresden, the self-taught artist used a wide variety of stylistic devices for his neo-expressionist works, such as Asian calligraphy, graphic pictorial signs, primitive cave painting and graffiti. His motifs are usually figurative in the form of shadowy stick figures. As early as the 1970s, he experimented with sweeping brushstrokes and bold colour surfaces. The resulting formlessness and symbolism were intended to make his works accessible to everyone.

Penck's works undoubtedly also rank with the "Neue Wilde" of the 80s because of their playfulness and carefreeness. In particular, the unique form of expression and the significance of his painting make Penck the painter, graphic artist and sculptor special. He tried to depict the escape from the control system of the GDR state security. In the process, he was permanently controlled and observed by the system during the GDR period, which forced him to use constantly changing pseudonyms. He was completely denied an education at the GDR academies and membership in the Association of Visual Artists. In 1980 he was finally expatriated and moved to the West. His paintings were celebrated there. Just one year later, the Goethe Foundation Basel awarded him the Rembrandt Prize.