b. Oels, Germany 1941

d. Cologne, Germany 2010

A German painter and photographer, Sigmar Polke experimented with a wide range of styles, subject matters and materials. In the 1970s, he concentrated on photography, returning to paint in the 1980s, when he produced abstract works created by chance through chemical reactions between paint and other products. In the last 20 years of his life, he produced paintings focused on historical events and perceptions of them. Characterized by wit and endless inventiveness, the artist was inspired by his fascination with science and alchemy.

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