A student of Sigmar Polke, Albert Oehlen is a painter’s painter. During the ’70s, he was part of a Cologne art scene that included Martin Kippenberger, and he proved to be a key innovator in the revival of painting, being among the first to relate the medium to digital technology. On the occasion of his New Museum survey, he singles out some of his career highlights.
Self-portrait as Spring, 2006
“I used wallpaper for background here, a kitschy scene of a garden in Tuscany that I really liked. There are two images of me: one where I’m popping out of a vase as a collaged figure, the other in which I’ve painted myself by a fountain, cooling off in the water. The whole thing is seasonal, but it’s also meant to be esoteric, so don’t ask me what it represents.”
Saints and Fighters, 1997
“I found a picture of this guy while searching the Internet for computer-generated images. I liked the idea of the beer can next to him to create a trashy aspect. I used a digitally printed background overlaid with silk screen, brushwork and spray paint. When you enlarge pixelated images, the pixels often look out of focus in a way resembling spray-paint.”
Bad, 2003
“I guess in a way Gerhard Richter inspired this painting—I wiped the color off the surface, much like he did with his blurred images. But his approach was meant to serve the representational function of his paintings, which were based on photographs. I, on the other hand, thought, Okay, what if I make the process the main thing? So pushing the paint from one place to another became the point.”
Self-portrait as Dutch Woman, 1983
“This was probably my third or fourth self-portrait. I try to make each one as interesting and playful as possible. For this one, I was fascinated by a beautiful photo of a topless woman in a Dutch bonnet by Paul Outerbridge. So I appropriated it and substituted my face for the original. I used an earlier painting as the canvas, so the cogwheels were already there, and I decided to leave them.”
Untitled, 1989
“I started making abstract paintings because I was no longer taking the idea of representation seriously. It was a dream that I had for some time. I felt that I was making the same transition in my life as art history had done—moving from figuration to abstraction. It came about quickly because I was at a lucky moment where I had the courage to do it.”
Arrest, 1996
“In 1990, I bought a computer—a Texas Instruments laptop. It was an early model, and I got it because I liked the idea of connecting to advanced technology, even though I knew that I didn’t know anything about it, and I wasn’t sure how to use it. But I loved the idea of using a computer to paint even before I figured out how to do it. The irony, though, is that this painting is a computer image that was painted by hand.”
Captain Jack, 1997
“This canvas has Photoshop gone wild! I tried every new filter and tool that I could. So I managed to create bands of color and windows of color. I messed around, playing with the imagery, which came from a picture of a toy mixed with a photo of Richard Pryor dressed as a doctor. The eyes are actually his. The title of the piece came from a stupid German dance music band.”
More Fire and Ice, 2011
“This was the largest painting I’ve made to date. It’s a big mess of motifs, some of which I made with computer software called Poser. The composition goes in all different directions. I kept painting on it until I decided that I’d arrive at a nice abstract canvas. I kept thinking of Willem de Kooning while I was painting, so maybe there’s an aspect of his work in there.”
Untitled, 2009–11
“I began with two advertising posters, one for a sports team and the other for a furniture store. Whenever I work on a background of images like that, I approach it as if I’ve actually painted what’s there myself and it’s terrible and needs fixing. So I’m not calling bullshit on the material like Sigmar Polke might have. I’m taking responsibility for whatever happens.”
Untitled, 2005
“This is only the fourth time I’ve exhibited this installation, which is meant to represent a poor art student’s apartment. It’s somewhat biographical: There’s a self-portrait lying on the bed, covered with a sheet. There’s a record player and albums because music has always been important to me. And there’s also a piss pot next to the bed, though when I was a student, my money was too tight to buy one.”
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