Loo Paper
Loo Paper
Signed Print
Gerhard Richter
£30,000-£45,000Value Indicator
$60,000-$90,000 Value Indicator
$60,000-$80,000 Value Indicator
¥290,000-¥430,000 Value Indicator
€35,000-€50,000 Value Indicator
$310,000-$460,000 Value Indicator
¥5,790,000-¥8,690,000 Value Indicator
$40,000-$60,000 Value Indicator
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
There aren't enough data points on this work for a comprehensive result. Please speak to a specialist by making an enquiry.
Medium: Photographic print
Edition size: 24
Year: 1994
Size: H 71cm x W 66cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2024 | Phillips London | United Kingdom | |||
| February 2020 | Christie's London | United Kingdom | |||
| March 2016 | Christie's New York | United States | |||
| December 2013 | Ketterer Kunst Hamburg | Germany | |||
| October 2012 | Christie's London | United Kingdom | |||
| May 2000 | Christie's New York | United States |
Meaning & Analysis
Loo Paper is a signed photographic print by seminal German artist Gerhard Richter. Issued in a very limited edition of 24 in 1994, the artwork depicts a humble roll of loo paper and belongs to the Atlas series.
Loo Paper is a signed photographic print after the painting Toilet Paper [CR: 75-3], which Richter painted in 1965. The print’s source image was itself based on a photograph - a fact referenced by its markedly two-dimensional, ‘blurred’ style. To the left of the image, lighter shades of grey, blue, and white mix to give the impression of an interior wall, lit from a window. Yet with these shadows in mind, the focal point of the image - a loo roll - appears to sit awkwardly on the very same wall. Deviating from the photographic ‘truth’ of its source image, the painting deconstructs the still life scene by ‘blurring’ it into patches of uniform tone. Behind this visual technique of ‘blurring’ is a particular philosophy. Richter explains: ‘I blur things so that they do not look artistic or craftsmanlike but technological, smooth and perfect. I blur things to make all the parts a closer fit. Perhaps I also blur out the excess of unimportant information.’
Part of the Atlas series, Loo Roll references Richter’s sizable collection of visual material of the same name, which comprises found images, newspaper cuttings, and family photographs. Assembled since the 1960s, when Richter fled from East Germany with his young family to settle in the West German city of Düsseldorf, the Atlas collection has formed the referential basis of many of the artist’s paintings, including Elisabeth II (1966) and Hund (1965).
Hailing from Germany, Gerhard Richter has not been confined to one visual style. A testament to versatility and artistic diversity, Richter's work spans from photorealism to abstraction and conceptual art, and his portfolio is rich in varied media. From creating bold canvases to working on glass to distort the lines between wall-based art and sculpture, Richter has honed in on the blur technique to impart an ambiguity on his creations. To this day, Richter is one of the most recognised artists of the 20th century with his art having been presented in exhibitions worldwide. His global impact underscores his legacy as a trailblazer of artistic exploration.
