Rudolf Stingel

Contemporary artist Rudolf Stingel's mesmerizing exploration of self-portraiture also marks his first foray into the world of color. For decades Rudolf Stingel has been investigating the definition of painting and the nature of memory. In this stunning catalog to a new exhibit, Stingel begins with an early photograph of himself and offers up a series of reinterpretations that riff on nostalgia, realism, and repetition. The book also presents a series of silver "carpet paintings" that reveal delicate, ghostly images, and a collection of gold paintings in high, almost sculptural, relief, which the artist resurrected from his studio after years of neglect. Stingel concludes his exploration with another portrait that recalls the initial photograph; this one in dazzling color that grabs the viewer's attention like waking from a dream. Together these paintings narrate a journey from past to present, from memory to reality, and from muted tones to vibrant hues.