Angelika Platen: Sigmar Polke and Gerhard Richter
Since the late 1960s, Angelika Platen has photographed more
than 500 artists. Some of her portraits have become
inseparable from the artists themselves—iconic images that
define the way these figures are remembered. In doing so,
Platen has become an icon of the genre herself.
The exhibition at Office Reiner Opoku presents portraits of
two of Germany’s most important contemporary artists: Sigmar
Polke and Gerhard Richter. The more than 20 black-and-white
photographs were taken in Düsseldorf in 1971/72.
In Platen’s work, the concept of “touch” is not experienced
physically but rather in a preliminary form: as a sensitive,
emotional closeness between the photographer and her subjects.
The level of intimacy she achieves makes the personalities of
these artists perceptible beyond their work—it is no less
powerful than physical touch. Her portraits offer a gaze “into
the face and soul” of the individuals portrayed. In this way,
they not only move the viewer but also enrich the artists’
oeuvres by offering an external, humanizing perspective on
their creators.
View the exhibition at Office Reiner Opoku
