Sep. 25, 2023

To paint in order to know, to know in order to paint.

It has been 10 years since I began painting. In the first half, I captured the people I encountered; in the latter, I concentrated on knowing the world around me. Now, I am integrating people into my world.

On My Heroes

“Who is the greatest artist of the 21st Century?”

“Elon Musk, 格物致知,止於至善* ! But if we're confining our discussion to the realm of fine art, then without a doubt, it's Anselm Kiefer.”

“Artificer”(Plato) → “Gesamkunstwerk” (Richard Wagner) → Anselm Kiefer

When discussing the ideal form of art or, as he termed it, “the consummated art form of the future,” Richard Wagner introduced the concept of “Gesamkunstwerk” (total artwork). This term suggests a synthesis of various art forms into a single cohesive whole. This notion may be traced back to Plato's concept of the “Artificer”. Plato posited, "That which becomes must necessarily do so through the agency of some cause.” This agent, which Plato refers to as the “Artificer”—the Divine Craftsman or Demiurge—does not bring new things into being but rather confronts and orders what already exists in chaotic form. The Artificer acts as the planner or architect. 

Fast-forwarding from Wagner's era to his envisioned “future”––today––Anselm Kiefer stands out as a true heir to the Romantic tradition.

* 善， 通 Platonic idea of the Good, i.e. excellence?