Alibis

Workingacrossanunusuallybroadrangeofmedia,includingpainting,photography,film,drawingandsculpture,SigmarPolkeiswidelyregardedasoneofthemostinfluentialandexperimentalartistsofthepost-wargeneration.Hisirreverentwitandpromiscuousintelligence,coupledwithhisexceptionalgraspofthepropertiesofhismaterials,providedthefoundationforhispunishingcritiquesoftheconventionsofarthistoryandsocialbehavior.Experimentingwildlywithmaterialsandtoolsasvariedasmeteordustandthexeroxmachine,Polkemadeworkofbothanintimateandmonumentalscale,drawnfromsourcesasdiverseasnewspaperheadlinesandDurerprints.Polkeavoidedanyonesignaturestyle,afluidmethodbestdefinedbytheword"alibi,"whichmeans"inoratanotherplace."ThisalsoisareminderofthedeflectionofresponsibilitywhichshapedGermanbehaviorduringtheNaziperiod,compellingPolke'sgenerationtoreinventtheroleoftheartist.Publishedinconjunctionwith"Alibis:SigmarPolke1963-2010,"thefirstexhibitiontoencompasstheartist'sworkacrossallmedia,thisrichlyillustratedpublicationprovidesanoverviewofhiscross-disciplinaryinnovationsandcareer.EssaysbyKathyHalbreich,AssociateDirectorofTheMuseumofModernArt;MarkGodfrey,CuratorofInternationalArt,TateModern;andarangeofscholarsandartistsexaminethefullrangeofPolke'sexceptionallyinventiveoeuvreandplacehisenormousskepticismofallsocial,politicalandartisticconventionsagainstGermanhistory.SigmarPolke(1941-2010)wasborninOels,ineasternGermany,nowOlesnicainpresent-dayPoland.AttheendofWorldWarII,PolkeandhisfamilyfledtoEastGermanyand,in1953,escapedtoDusseldorf,wherehewastrainedasaglasspainterandsubsequentlystudiedattheKunstakademieDusseldorf.Sincethelate1960s,Polke'sworkhasbeenshownwidely,includingsoloexhibitionsatEuropeanandAmericanmuseums.Hislastmajorworkwasacommissionfor12stainedglasswindowsoftheGrossmunsterinZurich,Switzerland,completedin2009.