Martin Kippenberger - Couverture souple

Martin Kippenberger's premature death in 1997 at the age of forty-three brought to an end one of the most controversial and prolific careers in modern art. Many critics dismissed him as a showman; others hailed him as the greatest living artist of his time. Kippenberger embraced the controversy that followed him, enjoying and combining an irreverence for arts institutions with a deep passion for art itself. Kippenberger's work bas always been inextricably linked with his personal life, to the extent that at times this has dominated its critical reception. This book aims to redress the balance, concentrating on his art and exploring its visual and conceptual aspects. Kippenberger's astonishingly varied oeuvre included paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photography, prints, and artist's books, executed in a wide variety of styles. The authors examine the themes underlying his work, including Socialist Realism and kitsch; self portraiture and myth; punk and anti-romanticism; exile and homelessness; the importance of humour and its roots in German political realities; and the artist's interest in language and the influence on his work of literature. The inclusion of a new translation of Kippenberger's final interview ensures his own, idiosyncratic voice is present. This richly illustrated book reveals not only the scale of Kippenberger's achievement but the enduring influence he has had on subsequent generations of artists.

Susanne Kippenberger works as a journalist at the newspaper Der Tagesspiegel. Doris Krystof is Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf. Jessica Morgan is Curator, Contemporary Art, at Tate. Gregory Williams is Assistant Professor of Art History at Boston University.