Sep. 25, 2023

中译

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 Anselm Kiefer

“Who is the greatest artist today?”

“Elon Musk, 格物致知,止於至善* ! But if we're only talking about 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 “Gesamtkunstwerk” (total artwork). This term suggests a synthesis of various art forms into a unified aesthetic and intellectual experience. Its roots can 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 a planner or architect.

Fast-forwarding from Wagner’s era to his “future”—today—Anselm Kiefer emerges as a true heir to German Idealism and Romanticism.

What we discover in the Self is simply a microcosm of the whole, which is then projected as the nature of reality. The creative spirit pulsates through everything. (See Athanor)

What sets Kiefer apart from others?

“Percepts without concepts are blind; concepts without percepts are empty.” Kiefer has mastered the balance between intellect and sensibility, achieving both.

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