London’s Tate Moden has presented Alibis: Sigmur Polke 1963-2010, a retrospective into the multimedia work of one of the most most visionary, experimental and unclassifiable artists of the 21st Century.

Sigmar Polke, Girlfriends (1967)

London’s Tate Moden has presented Alibis: Sigmur Polke 1963-2010, a retrospective into the multimedia work of one of the most most visionary, experimental and unclassifiable artists of the 21st Century.

This exhibition, open until the 8th of February, brings together 50 years of the artist’s work, from paintings, photography and sculpture, to works for television and performance.

He is known for being the artist wanting to scape from any posible categorisation, practically muting into “different artists”. One day he was experimenting with the limits of abstract photography, the next he was creating clever figurative paintings. Polke invigorated the world of pop art with his wide technical experimentation, his versatile creativity, his anti-aesthetic style and his humour. He examined consumerism and politics, especially those concerning post-war Germany, always highlighting the distinction between appearance and reality. 

“We cannot rely on it that good painting will be made one day. We have to take the matter in hand ourselves,” Polke once said. That’s for one to determine, so check out some of our favourite pieces after the cut. And more importantly, don’t miss the show!

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Sigmar Polke, Untitled, Quetta, Pakistan (1974-1978)

Polke as Astronaut 3063451a

Sigmar Polke, Polke as Astronaut (1968)

Menschenbrucke

Sigmar Polke, Menschenbrücke (2005)

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Sigmar Polke, Bunnies (1966)

polke giornico

Sigmar Polke, Giornico (1976)

2007 Beyond the Rainbow

Sigmar Polke, Beyond the Rainbow (2007)

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Sigmar Polke, Supermarkets (1976)

Sigmar Polke B-Mode

Sigmar Polke, B-mode (1987)

Sigmar Polke snake

Sigmar Polke, $-Bild (1971)

 

Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963–2010 will be at the Tate Modern until the 8th of February of 2015. For more information visit: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/alibis-sigmar-polke-1963-2010