Anselm Kiefer

German, born 1945

Explore selected works

Horizontal bands of rumpled and wrinkled strips of lead are pieced together and overlap to create this horizontal, abstract work. The bands vary from smoke to charcoal gray, and there are some areas of burnt-orange rust. A smaller, ivory-white rectangle at the bottom center resembles a starburst created with textured, radiating bands of ivory and navy blue, surrounding a roughly teardrop-shaped hole that nearly spans the height of the smaller panel. The area within the teardrop is painted with smooth strokes of ice blue along the top, deepening to cobalt blue along the bottom. Tall letters in cursive white spelling out “Zim Zum” are written at the center of a band a quarter of the way down from the top edge of the composition.
Anselm Kiefer, Zim Zum, 1990, acrylic, emulsion, crayon, shellac, ashes, and canvas on lead, Gift of the Collectors Committee, 1990.82.1

Zim Zum

Anselm Kiefer · 1990 · acrylic, emulsion, crayon, shellac, ashes, and canvas on lead ·  Accession ID  1990.82.1

The sculpture is in the shape of an aircraft with two wings, a body, and vertical fin. It is crafted using a patchy silver material. The sculpture includes details like four cylindrical jet engines that appear slightly misshapen and flimsy. There are tufts of reddish-brown material placed on different parts of the aircraft, including on the fin and in some of the engines. Sheets of material that look like thin gray rocks have been stacked on the wings of the plane, with more tufts covering them. The structure rests directly on the floor, with a white wall behind it.
Anselm Kiefer, Angel of History, 1989, lead, glass, and poppies, Eugene L. and Marie-Louise Garbáty Fund, 1994.75.1

Angel of History

Anselm Kiefer · 1989 · lead, glass, and poppies ·  Accession ID  1994.75.1