l'essentiel de la grammaire

JPG\149\ruehm_GF0002093.00_001.jpg
© Generali Foundation Collection—Permanent Loan to the Museum der Moderne Salzburg, Repro: Werner Kaligofsky

Gerhard Rühm

l'essentiel de la grammaire, 1962

Over-painting German grammar in 6 plates, painted over with India ink, foldable 46.5 x 68,2 cm, framed 60 x 90 cm

GF0002093.00.0-1999

Artwork text

Rühm addresses language and writing in a variety of ways, as in phonetic poetry or in his typocollages made out of fragments of newspaper prints. These works are based on a radical analysis and critique of language, which is, in turn, an analysis and critique of the picture. In l’essentiel de la grammaire Rühm sets up a new system consisting of instructions for the German language, which govern anyone using this language. Rühm utterly ignores the rules of language and paints over the dry grammar table. The words he saves form something lyrical, a poem. (Sabine Breitwieser/Nadja Wiesener)

Lending history
2016 Munich, DE, Haus der Kunst 2005 Rotterdam, NL, Nederlands fotomuseum 2005 Munich, DE, Haus der Kunst