Lüpertz Markus

Markus Lüpertz (*1941, Reichenberg, Czech Republic) is one of the most influential contemporary German artists. Lüpertz often takes his motifs from the Bible, Greek myths, Nordic sagas, fairy tales and philosophy. He sees artworks on these themes as his contribution to cultural transformation by bringing classical content of meaning into the present.

Markus Lüpertz is represented at the 9th Triennial with his glass sculpture "David", among other works. The motif, which has been used repeatedly in art history, has its origins in the biblical story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17, 1-51) and in the Koran (Sura No. 2 Al-Baqara) 

With what is probably the largest glass sculpture in the world to be cast in one piece, Lüpertz presents an unusual interpretation of David: he chooses the form scheme of the "Kouros", which is rooted in Greek archaism and was the usual form of representation for the ideal of a victorious young man at the time. The choice of material is remarkable not only in terms of craftsmanship but also in terms of motif: the glistening light, refracted many times by the glass, makes Lüpertz's David appear as a radiant figure of light and a powerful metaphor for triumph.

Smiling with satisfaction, David carries Goliath's head by his hair. However, he seems to have been injured himself in the fight. The arm holding the weapon is missing. On the one hand, this can be read as a reference to the often fragmentary preservation of ancient sculptures. On the other hand, the missing arm refers to the historical incident of Michelangelo's David having an arm knocked off by a park bench thrown out of Parliament in 1527.

 Quote

«I try to measure myself against what has been created in history.»