Cage f.ff VI
Cage f.ff VI
Signed Print
Gerhard Richter
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90 x 90cm, Edition of 30, Lithograph
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Meaning & Analysis
A 2015 lithograph print by the influential German artist Gerhard Richter, Cage f.ff VI is part of the Cage f.ff series. Issued in an edition of 30 and signed by the artist, the work depicts details of one of Richter’s 2006 Cage paintings. Brightly-coloured and firmly deconstructivist in form, the work references Richter’s profound influence by the avant-garde composer, John Cage.
This print is an example of Richter’s best-known abstract work. Issued in 2015, some 9 years after the completion of the painting it references, the print represents a particularly productive period of Richter’s career during which, inspired by the music of US avant-gardist composer John Cage, he produced his most refined ‘squeegee’-based abstract paintings. In this work, a variety of green, yellow, and white hues battle one another for primacy; product of Richter’s slow, meditative creative practice, which sees him drag layers of paint across the canvas, the work stands out against its contemporaries, namely Cage f.ff I, Cage f.ff II and Cage f.ff III.
Between 1967 and 1968, Richter began to produce his so-called ‘shadow paintings’, which referenced Renaissance fascinations with mathematics, perspective, and optical effects, combining them with Richter’s own early interest in abstract art and grid-based patterns. During this same period in his career, Richter continued to produce works using hands-on printmaking processes, including screen printing, photolithography, and collotype. From 1974, he stopped working with print media, opting in favour of a strict use of photography.
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.