Gerhard Richter: White Paintings

Gerhard Richter, 'Abstract Painting (Abstraktes Bild)', 2009

The white abstract painting is apparently a recognised sub-genre and a challenge that several noted painters have taken on for different reasons.  It's something I've thought about recently after the 'Panorama' exhibition where I discovered that Gerhard Richter has also engaged with it.

Kazimir Malevich, 'Suprematist Composition: White on White', 1918

The tradition began with Kazimir Malevich’s ‘Supremacist Composition, White on White’,  in 1918, - essentially a depiction of the space a square form might occupy. As Modernism spawned the abstract logic of pure form over narrative so, understandably, the all-white abstract represented one conclusion in that search for the perfectly distilled art object. 

Robert Rauschenberg, 'White Painting (Three Panels)', 1951 

Robert Rauschenberg, 'White Painting,  (Seven Panels)', 1951 

John Cage, Score to '4'33"', Composed 1952

In mid-century Robert Rauschenberg’s pure, white monochromes provided a visual analogue to composer John Cage’s famously silent ‘4’:33”‘.  Rauschenberg removed all visual content from groups of white panels on whose surfaces shadows and transient light effects may or may not occur, just as Cage’s piece is wholly the sum of any sounds heard during its ‘performance’.  Both create an open arena for pure ambience and chance occurrences in different media.

Robert Ryman, 'Series No. 13 (White)',  2004

Robert Ryman, 'Untitled',  c.1965

Robert Ryman, 'Untitled' 1958

Robert Ryman, 'Untitled', 2003

Surely, the king of white painting is Robert Ryman.  His entire career is essentially a project to explore how many ways white paint might be applied to, and thus appear, on various surfaces.  By reducing painting to its basic physical and visual components he has repeatedly investigated the medium’s intrinsic properties, - without getting boring.

Gerhard Richter, 'Cage 2', 2006

Richter’s recent whites belong to the category of his work exploring obliteration through smearing or scraping.  Typically of his abstracts, their final appearance is the result of dragging successive layers of paint over underlying statements.  Richter’s white pigment seems the perfect signifier for cancelling, suggesting a return to an original state or even opaque correction fluid.  In the larger examples, like 'Abstract Painting (Abstraktes Bild)', there are hints of underlying landscape allusions and also some kinship with the 'Cage' cycle of abstracts acquired by the Tate, (that's Cage as in John Cage...).

Gerhard Richter 'White (Weiss)', 2006

Gerhard Richter, 'White (Weiss)', 2006

Gerhard Richter, 'Grey (Grau),' 2006

'White, (Weiss)', 'White, (Weiss)' and 'Grey, (Grau)' are small works on a metallic substrate called Aludibond and may connect with Ryman’s agenda somewhat.  They are actually as much about black as white but with white literally coming out on top.  As Ryman has sometimes done, he allows a wealth of tonal and optical colour nuance to occur by simple manipulation of the two tonal extremes.  Mostly, I interpret them as saying ‘This painting is what happens if I apply this action to those materials in a certain way’.  They represent an aspect of Richter’s work like charming calling cards and I fell in love instantly when I saw them at ‘Panorama’. 

'Content 1', Acrylics & Household Gloss on Panel, 2004

Finally, this talk of white paintings reminds me of one of my own.  ‘Content 1’ was amongst the first group of paintings I made using words in 2004.  They employed terms relating to various properties of painting and the all- white model seemed ideal for a painting filled with described content without really having any.