Sigmar Polke: Works & Days Book

One of the most important artists of our time, Sigmar Polke has devoted much of the past quarter century to works that explore alchemical themes, and this catalogue is the first to focus on that golden thread in his paintings. With his characteristic exuberance, intelligence, and fearlessness, he has drawn upon such diverse sources as the cultures of the Far East and the Pacific Islands, the eighth-century Book of Kells, and the mythical pseudo-science of Hermes Trismegistus. In his 1982 painting Gold Nuggets, Polke went so far as to use highly poisonous paints containing arsenic, and in other works, he has employed precious minerals such as lapis lazuli to evoke both the mysticism and physicality of color. Older paintings here join with brand new ones, including a comprehensive group of large-format compositions painted especially for the exhibition at Kunsthaus Zrich. This group is complemented by other works from recent years, such as the magnificent four-part piece from 1995, Hermes Trismegistos. Overall, the air of an artist's book infuses the publication due to an intense collaboration between designer Trix Wetter, editor Bice Curiger, and the artist.