It is only a question of time before the quiet and yet so unique paintings of Raimund Girke (1930–2002) also gain the recognition among the public that they are due. Over a period of 50 years, Girke has created a painterly oeuvre of impressive consistency defining stratifications and structures, made with calm, flowing brushstrokes. Die Kraft der Farbe (The Power of Color) is the name of the retrospective exhibition that includes numerous previously unshown paintings of the 1980s and 1990s from the estate of the artist. Despite Girke’s great love of white in his works, in terms of content he consciously steers the viewer’s attention so that his art exists beyond all black-and-white painting. “White is emptiness, immateriality, quiet and silence,” Girke once said about his art. This book also gives off an immense meditative strength. Viewing the paintings of Raimund Girke should hold great fascination for a public sensitized to the rediscovery of abstract art of the ZERO group.
In addition to illustrations of all 40 works included, the book, accompanying the exhibition at the Villa Grisebach in Berlin, also contains analyses on Girke’s unique formal language by Hans-Joachim Müller and Florian Illies, as well as a speech about Raimund Girke by Günther Uecker.