Martin Kippenberger

German, 1953–1997. Martin Kippenberger was an influential German artist of his milieu. Taking on political issues and history, Kippenberger’s work was mostly a mordant commentary on subjects related to the art and modern world. He is known for his provocative, satirical and light-hearted compositions that exude principles borrowed from a range of figures and movements, including Picasso, Pop, Socialist Realism and Expressionism. The artist was recognized for his self-portraits which he produced in a large number, juxtapositioning himself into the backgrounds of historical paintings. Despite experimenting with different media to demonstrate his creativity, he achieved prominence mostly because of his paintings.