Being and essence, the unknown A.R. Penck

This volume is the catalog to an exhibition to be held at the Staedtische Galerie Dresden, which will feature Penck's works from a large private collection. It features nearly 500 illustrations from the 1950s when Penck first began his artistic career to 1980 when he emigrated from East Germany. Born Ralf Winkler in 1939, Penck witnessed the bombing of his hometown of Dresden in 1945. The shockwaves of that experience can be sensed through his dramatic and bold works. For years Penck practiced his art "underground," away from the intrusive eyes of the Communist regime that were sensitive to the artist's use of symbolism and archetypes. As these restrictions loosened in the 1980s, Penck allowed himself to create larger, more gestural and figurative paintings. This evolution, from the "unspoken" to the overt, becomes evident in this volume, which includes beautifully reproduced images of his paintings, drawings, and prints, and provides audiences with a fuller understanding of the underlying themes of this highly regarded artist.