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2/10/2003

Sigmar Polke

Tate Modern, London

History of Everything

Introduction
Sigmar Polke is an artist whose work defies easy definitions. He is one of the most significant painters of the post-war generation, yet his career has by no means been confined to painting. Since the early 1960s Polke has experimented with a wide range of styles and subject matter, bringing together imagery from contradictory or unexpected sources, both historical and contemporary, and using a variety of different materials and techniques. In fact Polke's artistic diversity, and his resistance to any form of categorisation, has been seen as the only consistent theme in his work.

Exhibition
Sigmar Polke: History of Everything showcases Polke's work over the last six years. Initiated by the Dallas Museum of Art, and organised in close collaboration with the artist, this exhibition includes several groups of works made with the original venue in mind. Polke asked the museum to send him stacks of Texan newspapers, providing a rich source of material about local culture. Several works draw from imagery in these newspapers and refer to the renowned gun culture of the American West. Other works make references to the role of America in global politics, perhaps reflecting that the current leader of the world's dominant superpower, George Bush, is himself from Texas.

The presentation at Tate Modern also includes several large-scale works made specifically for London. These range from new examples of his 'Machine Painting' technique, to recent paintings using imagery from newspapers and magazines. Some of these works appear to reflect on aspects of British culture. One group of works depict rural nudist colonies, possibly alluding humorously to Britain's reputedly uptight attitudes to sex.

Sigmar Polke: History of Everything offers the first chance to see a major new body of work by this internationally renowned artist.

It is possible to see more of Sigmar Polke's work on level 3 at Tate Modern where three galleries have been devoted to showing drawings, paintings and photographic works from the early 1960s to the 1980s. This display includes generous loans from the Froehlich Foundation, Stuttgart, with which Tate has a special relationship.

Sigmar Polke: History of Everything
Supported by Tate International Council

Exhibition organised by the Dallas Museum of Art
Exhibition support has been provided in part by the Dallas Museum of Art Contemporary Art Fund through the gifts of an anonymous donor, Naomi Aberly and Laurence Lebowitz, Arlene and John Dayton, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Faulconer, Nancy and Tim Hanley, The Hoffman Family Foundation, Cindy and Howard Rachofsky, Evelyn P. and Edward W. Rose, Gay and Bill Solomon, and Gayle and Paul Stoffel

The exhibition in Texas was co-curated by John R. Lane, Director, and Charles Wylie, Curator of Contemporary Art, Dallas Museum of Art. The Tate Modern installation is curated by Vicente Todoli, Director, Tate Modern, assisted by Juliet Bingham, Assistant Curator. Leaflet text by Jemima Montagu, Interpretation Curator, Tate Modern.

Image: I Don't Really Think About Anything Too Much 2002
Courtesy Michael Werner, New York and Cologne © Sigmar Polke

Tate Modern
Bankside
London

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