A. R. Penck
A.R. Penck is regarded as one of the most important German artists of the second half of the 20th century for his unique and resolutely primitive aesthetic.
In Ich und M.W., Penck depicts himself in conversation with his long-time dealer, Michael Werner. Tall and reassuring, the gallery owner is portrayed not only as a businessman, but also as a protector. He is portrayed as a friend with whom Penck converses and chats. Michael Werner listens to the painter and leans over to help his companion.
Ich und M.W. displays elements of Penck's characteristic style, which resists any attempt at deciphering, remaining almost mystical. The artist abandons colour to concentrate on form. His palette is reduced to a strong, dense trio of black, red and white, accentuated by a mirror-like composition in which the two figures are rendered in a play of red and black, sometimes for the body, sometimes for the background.