Sigmar Polke – Artwork & Bio of the German Painter

Sigmar Polke was a German painter, sculptor, and multimedia artist born on 13 February 1941 in Silesia, Poland. Polke enjoyed drawing as a child and often saw the photography works of his grandfather. In 1961, two years after apprenticing at a stained glass factory, Polke enrolled at the Dusseldorf Arts Academy and studied there till 1967.

Polke co-founded the Kapitalistischer Realismus movement in 1963 while he was a student of the Dusseldorf Academy. Polke and the other group members exhibited their works, parodying capitalism and communism concepts. After his first solo exhibition in 1966, Polke began to gain recognition in the German art scene.

In 1971, Sigmar began traveling in search of subject matter and inspiration, visiting Afghanistan, the USA, Europe, and South America. He documented his travels in photographs and experimented with different techniques. Polke became a professor at the Hamburg Academy of Fine Arts in 1977 and won the Golden Lion prize at the Venice Biennale in 1986. Polke continued working and experimenting till his death on 10 June 2010 in Cologne.

What was Sigmar Polke Known For?

Sigmar Polke was known for making creative, relatable, and aesthetic multimedia art. Polke’s art revolved around Pop culture and art, and his subjects were familiar relatable objects and themes. Polke showed his artistic versatility through experimentation with various mediums and materials, including arsenic, acrylic, lacquer, wool, and synthetic paint.

Who was Sigmar Polke Influenced By?

Sigmar Polke was influenced by famous Pop artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Joseph Beuys, and Andy Warhol. Lichtenstein’s influence on Polke’s work is evident in the painting Polke’s Bunnies, made with the dot technique peculiar to Lichtenstein.

What Art Movement was Sigmar Polke Associated With?

Sigmar Polke was associated with the Pop art movement.