A. R. Penck

A. R. Penck was a German painter, printmaker, and sculptor born on October 5, 1939, in Dresden, Germany. His real name was Ralf Winkler, but he adopted the pseudonym A. R. Penck in 1968, inspired by the geologist Albrecht Penck. He is known for his primitive, stick-figure-like imagery, which he described as "Standart" - a term he coined to reflect his aim of creating an elemental "standard" language of art. Penck's work is often associated with the Neo-Expressionist movement and he is considered a part of the "Neue Wilde" group of artists.

Penck's art was heavily influenced by his experiences growing up in East Germany during the Cold War. His early work was marked by social and political commentary, and he faced censorship and surveillance by the East German authorities. In 1980, he was expelled from East Germany and moved to West Germany, where his career flourished. He became known for his bold, graphic style and his use of symbols and signs, drawing inspiration from prehistoric and tribal art, as well as contemporary graffiti and digital imagery.

Throughout his career, Penck exhibited widely in Europe and the United States. His work is included in numerous public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Some of his notable exhibitions include A. R. Penck: Retrospective at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt in 2007 and A. R. Penck: Works 1961-2001 at the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf in 2002.

Penck also collaborated with other artists, including the free-jazz musician Frank Wollny and the painter Jörg Immendorff. He was also a member of the artist group "Lücke" (Gap), which sought to bridge the gap between East and West German art. Penck passed away on May 2, 2017, in Zurich, Switzerland, leaving behind a legacy as one of Germany's most significant contemporary artists.