About Sigmar Polke
Sigmar Polke (1941, 2010) was a defining force in contemporary art, celebrated for his radical experimentation, intellectual wit, and material innovation. Often described as an alchemist, Polke worked fluidly across painting, photography, and printmaking, treating his studio like a laboratory. Through chemical processes, unconventional materials, and layered imagery, he expanded the boundaries of painting and print, producing artworks that remain highly influential and sought after by collectors of contemporary art and limited edition prints.
In the 1960s, Polke co-founded Capitalist Realism alongside Gerhard Richter and Konrad Lueg, using irony and mass media imagery to critique consumer culture and postwar German society. His works frequently incorporate everyday motifs, advertising visuals, and offset printing techniques, sometimes painted on wallpaper or fabric. Polke’s signature raster or grid method translated enlarged newspaper and magazine images onto canvas, blurring distinctions between high art, popular culture, and mechanical reproduction in both paintings and art editions.
Polke’s impact on postmodern art continues through his innovative approach to material, image, and meaning. He exhibited internationally at documenta, the Bienal de São Paulo, and the Venice Biennale, where he received the Golden Lion in 1986. Major retrospectives were held at institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern, and Museum Ludwig, confirming Sigmar Polke’s lasting relevance within contemporary art history and the market for museum-quality artworks and editions.
