Osiris and Isis

Osiris and Isis

Monday, March 14, 2011

Lamentation: Six pieces of Mourning

The monumental painting "Osiris and Isis" explores a massive sense of space in the usual power-house manor that Kiefer is known for. Kiefer is interested in histories, in peoples movements, in their faiths and dependencies. His power comes from his confidence, his aggressive fearlessness with mark making and personal touch. His paintings are massive, in all sense of the word, they are packed with mud and dirt, burned, cut, broken, painted on with paint as well as all number of objects and materials. This painting holds vines that move in a funnel like shape up to the top of the painting where a window rests, right above the peak of the pyramid structure. The painting is monumentally scaled and the subject matter is also that of a monument; Kiefer highlights human beings ambition, egotism and faith in the use of the monument. He deals with 'construction and deconstruction always' in ways of idea and material. These six works come together to make a truly epic experience; from giant marks left by man--dismantled and rebuilt and dismantled--as well as shadows of the faiths that build people's souls to the people themselves in works like Sonnenblume I. This collection of six works is brought together in hopes of showcasing the essential quality of humanness in Kiefer's work; from trembling to confidence to the fantastical and purely mystical.

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