In this lithograph for the Shelter Foundation, Uecker “immortalizes” the motif of the nail. A chaotic array of nails press through the paper and into the color. The resulting product has been overlaid with markings that show traces of wiping, scraping and drippings. These gestural elements turn a simple, every day object into something that now possesses a frightening quality. The eye is forced to come to terms with picture elements battling and competing against one another. The message speaks of menace, harm and existential danger.
Günter Uecker (*1930 in Wendorf, Germany; living in Düsseldorf, Germany)
Along with contemporaries such as Heinz Mack, Otto Piene and Gerhard Richter, Günter Uecker has been a significant shaper of the course of modern art through to the present day. In 1961 he was a member of the artist group ZERO, experimenting with light and kinetic art, and then with materials such as nails, ash, wood, sand, and commonplace objects before developing the now famous nail paintings and nail objects. His works were seen at the documenta (1964, 1968, 1977), the Biennale in Venice (1979), and have earned countless honors including the German Federal Cross of Merit (2001), the Goslarer Kaiserring (1983), and the State Prize of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (2015).
