Christoph Tannert

Printed in both German and English, this opens with two essays: On the Wilfulness of Painting, and: German Paint, American Eyes, & Global Present. Then follows main section: The Artists.

The two essays are interesting and informative, but not always the easiest reading - perhaps because of the translation from German, but also not helped by the typography. While the pages look very pleasing visually, the English text (which runs side by side with the German in the page, a column each) is set in a small, very light face and appears against a pale yellow ground, not making it easy to see. Matters get slightly worse in the section The Artists, here the English text is actually printed in grey (The German test is in black).

The main section The Artists looks at each artist in turn providing brief information in list form on Training and Teaching, and Selected Exhibitions. There is then a brief narrative amounting to a few paragraphs about the artist's work, and shown are four or five examples of each artists' work. The latter is as far as I am concerned where this book shines, the images are fresh and clear with vibrant colours, and shown to advantage on the page, most are a good size and a few occupy a double page.

There are thirty two artists represented here, some names familiar (at least to me), Norbert Bisky, Tim Itel, Eberhard Havekost, Neo Rauch, Daniel Richter, and others who's work is familiar if not in name. The work is an exciting selection, varied and in almost all instances with a figurative (i.e. representational) foundation, even if at times far removed.… (plus d'informations)