Markus Lüpertz

His 1991 exhibition at the Reina Sofía showed without doubt that the German artistic avant-garde plays a decisive role in world art, and Markus Lüpertz (Liberec, Bohemia, 1941) is a key figure of this generation. He stamped his mark on German art with his symbolic expressionism and his dramatic, monumental work. He broke onto the artistic scene in the 60s with his so-called &#171dithyrambic painting&#187, followed in the 70s by his &#171style-painting&#187. Since the 80s he has also dedicated himself to sculpture and graphic works. The latter show elements that can be found in Lüpertz' origins in painting: the challenge of chance, a creative curiosity which takes drives him towards a continual, playful investigation of new possibilities, and the acceptance of risk as a constant source of inspiration.