Installation view, "Martin Kippenberger: The Raft of the Medusa," Skarstedt Gallery, New York. Courtesy Estate of Martin Kippenberger, Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne.
“Raft of the Medusa” is a tightly focused, museum-quality show of some 59 paintings, drawings, prints and photos, plus one large tapestry, which Martin Kippenberger (1953-1997) produced in a burst of feverish creativity in the year before he died. Inspired by Theodore Géricault’s 1819 masterpiece, Kippenberger mimics the poses of some of the figures in the French artist’s vast composition. In doing so, he conveys his own unique sense of gut-wrenching fear and dread. Among the most powerful works are a group of wildly colorful self-portraits that demonstrate, aside from a very personal angst, a novel and innovative approach to the figure.