Culver City,
California
x
Unnamed Artwork
Date Made: 1988
Country: German Democratic Republic
Method: ink on paper
Measurements: 18 5/16 in x 13 1/4 in; 46.482 cm x 33.655 cm; 17 7/8 in x 13 1/2 in; 45.339 cm x 34.29 cm; 16 13/16 in x 20 in; 42.672 cm x 50.8 cm; 15 3/4 in x 19 3/4 in; 40.005 cm x 50.165 cm
Eleven East German illustrations from 1988, the year before the fall of the Berlin Wall. These include two by Lothar Otto, four by Achim Jordan, and five by another artist whose signature could not be deciphered. The style of each illustration is quick, loose, and cartoonish. Each features ink and selectively-applied watercolor. The two known artists were famous graphic artists / press illustrators who created caricatures for the satirical magazine Eulenspiegel. Most make cultural-political commentary regarding folk art, artistic conformity, and professionalization. In Jordan's and the unknown artist's illustrations, several characters appear as jesters, gnomes, and puppets. Notable features from Jordan's illustrations include: a depiction of the "Volksgunst Ensemble," which may reference the famous GDR National People's Army ensemble, and two depictions of a man in military garb and medallions. Altogether, these signifiers and caricaturized costumes seem to poke at East German cultural institutions.
Accession Number: 2013.950.005