Daniel Richter Deconstructs His Own Language in ‘Wild Thing’

Rachael McDonald

A key influential figure in the German art scene since the ‘90s, Berlin-based artist Daniel Richter is most noted for pioneering a pictorial language all his own. Successfully tying together elements of history, mass media and pop culture, Richter shapes layers into personal narratives with pictorial language. The Regen Project’s special exhibition entitled “Wild Thing” features Richter’s latest exploration of figure, abstraction and pictorial language.

Dominated by conceptualism and neo-expressionism, post-war German painting has seen its fair share of recognizable figures and images deconstructed and evolved into abstract forms. Borrowing deep influence from his mentors and predecessors, Richter’s work has always pushed the boundaries of the distinctions between figure and abstraction but has continued to evolve throughout different stages of his career. Originally, Richter’s large-scale oil paintings were primarily abstract and psychedelic – a nearly chaotic, vibrant world of forms and colors. Blending images from pop culture with intricate cosmos of shapes, Richter’s integration of figurative abstraction was groundbreaking. His works made after ‘02, however, set a stage of tense opposition and conflict – symbols and figures inspired by newspapers and history books possess a charged aggression. An almost apparent parallel to current politics lives ambiguously in many of these works.

The new paintings that are occupying the space at Regen Projects push the boundaries of Richter’s obscure language further yet again. Rather than integrating the two, these multilayered compositions generate ambiguity between figure and abstraction. Even the intricate details of Richter’s process reflect a fundamental change in his process; ironically, in favoring his palette knife and using a sharper edge to mold his paint, Richter has softened the lines between shape and abstraction. A hasty and risky technique is used for many of the piece’s layers, actively thrusting louder and more aggressive emotions into the works. The passionate energy that lives in the new works in “Daniel Richter: Wild Thing” undermines barriers and definitions that had been merely introduced before.

“Daniel Richter: Wild Thing” will be on view from June 25 through Aug. 20 at Regen Projects.