Picturing History: Lot's Wife

[baleanoptera]

title of piece: Lot’s wife
artist: Anselm Kiefer
medium: Painting, made with paint, pieces of straw, twigs and soil. It shows two railroad tracks, stretching into the distance – the horizon a bleak, white sky.



The painting takes its title from the Bible story of Lot’s wife, who was told not to turn back and look at the destruction of Sodom, but who did – and was turned to salt.

Kiefer’s art has a tendency to deal with history and memory, and specifically German history, and this is no exception. Just as Lot’s wife, Kiefer looks back, seeing what he has left behind.
What kind of Sodom has existed, and been destroyed, in his past, as well as what kind of Sodom he has escaped from. Keeping in mind that this picture deals with German history, the presence of the railroad track, makes me think of the railroad to Auschwitz.

But unlike Lot’s Wife neither Kiefer nor we, the viewers, are turned to salt – and the picture seems to say that sometimes we have to look back. Sometimes we have to view the evil we leave behind us.

The pieces of straw, twig and soil incorporate the very land itself into the picture and makes it tangible. The land becomes present in the painting in a way it would not have been had Kiefer used just paint. The result is a grounding of the picture. What Kiefer shows isn’t just a parable or a biblical reference, it is real as the twigs and soil is real.

In short this painting gives me chills.


cross posted to newtranschool

Comments

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

What an goose-bumps inducing painting! Thank you!

makes me think of the railroad to Auschwitz.

It makes me think about it too, and about destruction/hard years after the WW1 and WW2.

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

about destruction/hard years after the WW1 and WW2.

Oh yes, it does have that feel of desolate and destroyed landscape. It's very bleak and haunting. And it leaves an impression - but I feel that is what good art should do. Not necessarily provoke or be outrageous - but to move the viewer, to emotionally connect with them.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

That's just beautiful and eerie and shiver-inducing. I've never even heard of this artist, but he's amazing.

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you like it. :) Anselm Kiefer is an amazing artist. He can be a bit heavy and gloomy, and he requires time but is so very much worth it. I will admit to going a few rounds with this picture before it "got" to me. At times the painting just felt like an itching scratch in the back of my mind.
(which is usually a hint for me to sit down and think: what is it with this picture - why doesn't it leave me alone? I'm for some reason lousy at taking this hint - so I spend a lot of time thinking "Why does this image annoy me so!")

But really - I'm very glad you liked it and found it interesting. I was a little worried it might be a tad bleak coming so quickly after all the New Years cheer. Apparently not. :)