Johannis Nacht gefallene Bilder [The secret life of plants]
About this artwork
Collapsing towers as allegories for disaster, destruction and the decline of empire are common motifs in Anselm Kiefer’s work of the past decade. This photograph’s double title in two languages, taken from words the artist has inscribed in German and English on the print itself, reinforces this metaphor. Straw and other plant matter frame the falling tower at the centre of the image. This vegetation seems to be consuming the tower, evoking nature’s cycle of life, death and decay. The tower appears illuminated by white light, as if lit by a flame, suggesting the flame of the Johannis Nacht – the night of the summer solstice – which in German folklore is celebrated with bonfires to ward off evil spirits.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Anselm Kiefer (born 1945) German
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title:Johannis Nacht gefallene Bilder [The secret life of plants]
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date created:2006
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materials:Photograph, black and white, on papers with paint
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measurements:176.00 x 139.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Acquired jointly through The d’Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 2011
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accession number:AR01168
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gallery:
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subject:
Anselm Kiefer
Anselm Kiefer
The German artist Anselm Kiefer gained prominence in 1969 with a series of photographs called 'Occupations', in which he was pictured giving the Nazi salute in various locations in Europe. This was Kiefer's first attempt to deal with Germany's recent cultural and political history, an ongoing theme...