186 / 191
| 88
PostWar & Contemporary
The present large format book presents
a number of details, patterns, materials
and techniques: oil, emulsion, lead, wood,
terracotta soil, fabric and wire, as well as
5 dried sunflowers. On some pages giant
sunflowers grow from the terracotta soil.
Kiefer employs his materials with great
effect in order to display before the viewer
qualities of death and transience in nature.
The sunflowers are dried, partly charred;
the earth is broken up and the fragile terra-
cotta inevitably crumbles. The melancholy
aesthetic is increased with the predomi-
nance of his preferred colour grey. Indeed,
the enormous scale of the work conveys a
feeling of the baleful and monstrous expe-
rience of this dark landscape. Yet, even in
this meagre scenario, there are promi-
sing details to be found, which suggest a
possible imminent transformation. The
white accents, which emerge in an almost
circular movement from the dark backdrop
and the fine golden lines on the upper
edge, might suggest change; and even if
the sunflowers are dried, they neverthel-
ess have a positive connotation.
Even the title of this work “Nigredo-Albe-
do-Rubedo” is powerfully symbolic and
clearly illustrates his interest in European
mysticism. These three words originate
from the “Opus Magnum” of medieval
alchemy, in which the transformation of a
material into gold is split into four and later
three stages: Nigredo – blackneing, means
the beginning and the original state of the
material; there follows Albedo – whitening,
and citrinitas – yellowing (this step is later
removed); finally, the transformation:
rubedo – reddening. Running parallel to
the practical alchemy, as it were, these
concepts are also taken up by Western
mysticism. Thus the aim is no longer the
transformation of a material into gold, but
the perfection of man. A possible transla-
tion might be found in the work of Gustav
Meyrink (1868-1932): nigredo (blackning) –
individuation, cleansing; albedo (whitening)
– spiritualisation, enlightenment; rubedo
(reddening) – unification of man with God,
unification of the limited with the limitless
(see: wikipedia Alchemy). Thus the title
symbolises a possible positive transfor-
mation.
CHF 300 000 / 400 000
(€ 277 780 / 370 370)