A.R. Penck, Porträt (1980)

Gouache on paper
16 1/2 × 11 1/2 in (41.9 × 29.2 cm)

A.R. PENCK (born Dresden, 1939) was a German artist who made paintings and sculptures that feature neo-primitive symbols, figures, and patterns. He rose to prominence alongside fellow Neo-Expressionists such as Georg Baselitz and Jörg Immendorff. The artist developed a sparse formal language in his paintings and early in his career used everyday materials such as cardboard boxes, slats, used bottles, tinfoil, and wood throughout his sculpture. His work has sold for six figures at auction and belongs in the collections of the Tate, the Museum of Modern Art, the Stedelijk Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.