Waldhaus – P18

Gerhard Richter’s life‐long preoccupation with technology and alternative means of artmaking is
imbedded in ‘Waldhaus (P18)’ (2017), a facsimile after the original oil on canvas from 2004. Richter’s
painting began as a photograph of a house within a vast green forest which culminates in hilly peaks.

This sublime image of a natural landscape was converted into a painting and altered through
mechanical means. Richter projected the photograph onto his canvas, painstakingly tracing it with
identical coloured pigments. However, Richter altered the image through his trademark blur
reminiscent of an unfocused camera, effectively nodding to the image’s original medium. This effect
is subtle, maintaining the integrity and readability of the original image while abstracting it in a way
that captures the sensibility of the serene landscape.

Richter returned to ‘Waldhaus’ with his giclée print mounted on aluminium panel, a facsimile of
tantamount quality which meticulously relays the captivating Details of the painted original.
Removed an additional layer from the photographic original, ‘Waldhaus (P18)’ is also an artwork in
its own right. Embracing the potentials of technology, this high‐quality photograph of ‘Waldhaus’
circles the image back to its true original state in yet another investigation into new methods of
abstraction.