Educational Media Reviews Online

Writer and director Corinna Belz interviewed German painter Gerhard Richter in his studio in 2009, when he was working on a series of large abstract paintings. This resulting documentary shows Richter at work, painting large abstracts and choreographing multiple museum showings, while discussing his philosophy of art, often through the use of earlier interviews or in response to Belz’ questions.

Large segments of the film are silent except for the squeak of Richter’s ladder or the soft contact sounds of the paintbrush and large squeegee as he applies them to his canvasses. Occasionally a minimalist soundtrack adds appropriate ambience.

Other stages of Richter’s work, primarily his photographs, are revealed throughout the course of the film, but the focus is on Richter, his paintings and his philosophy of art. Richter admits that he is conscious of the camera, since “painting is a secretive process”; nevertheless, for him, the public viewing his art creates “a nice feeling—somewhere between being caught and being seen.” An ongoing discussion theme in the film is the question about the nature of good art.

The film is well shot. It moves easily from atelier to museums, and effectively contrasts images of the bright colors being mixed in the studio with Richter’s darker works on the walls and in museums. There are a few talking head interviews, which are featured more in depth in the Special Sections part of the DVD, but they do not distract from the attention on Gerhard Richter and his paintings.