About the Work
Artschwager plays with the concept of two and three-dimensionality in this print. Though intricately rendered, the dog in the forefront of the composition appears flattened, as though it is a paper cut-out affixed onto the unchanging, repetitive texture of the background. The only indication of three-dimensional space is created by the three lines branching out from the center, which gives it much needed, yet unexpected, perspective.
About the Artist
Difficult to pin down, Richard Artschwager's style is never loyal to any one movement, but remains instead on the periphery of Conceptualism, Minimalism, and Pop Art. He challenges our preconceived ideas of two-dimensional imagery while also changing the way we think of three-dimensionality, utilizing everyday materials such as ceiling insulation and Formica in his creations. In his own words: “Space is an abstraction that grows naturally out of our looking at, looking into, looking through, walking, opening, closing, sitting, thinking about sitting, passing by.”
With a degree in physics, a stint as a bank employee, and a manufacturer of simple furniture, Artschwager followed different paths to become the successful artist he is today. He has had major career surveys at institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin, Germany; Kunstmuseum Winterthur; The Neues Museum, Nuremberg, Germany and the Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna, Austria. In 2002 he was inducted into The American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 2006 received the prestigious Wolfgang Hahn Prize. At 86, he continues to make work, which in recent years has increasingly explored current political issues.
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