Our newest friend, Kiefer, is a most amusing soul
Sour dour and yet so young
He reminds us of ourselves
As we were centuries ago
But he is so very cynical, believing in so little
Our many parts find levels of amusement and sadness

For excitement we have heard
Kiefer is a good listener
That our new place is ready
That we will be moving soon, very soon
We tingle with the fervor of change
Soon we will be separate again
Our smaller sides exposed to the world
(fear not shy friends, it will not be for long)
And then together again, in our fresh place of honor

There remains, as always
Many stories
To tell

This post is part of the series Follow Our Journey. Follow The Mosaic and six other works of art on the Big Move to the Museum’s new building.

Anselm Kiefer, Untitled, 1980–86, oil, acrylic, emulsion, shellac, lead, charcoal, and straw on photograph, mounted on canvas with stones, lead, and steel cable, various dimensions, Purchased with funds from the State of North Carolina, W. R. Valentiner, and various donors, by exchange, © 2009 Anselm Kiefer

Silence. Stillness. Solitude. Finally. It won’t last–who knows what they have in store for me?–but it’s a relief for now.

I’m alone in my gallery, my very own gallery. That is, if you don’t count the Shapiro. And I don’t. Stella was carried out to God-knows-where weeks ago. That one was just too horribly cheerful. And the Katz, don’t get me started…the constant small-talk, the party chatter. The Albers, the gentle Albers, I do miss. Does that surprise you? I hope to see him again. It is heartening for a moment to think how something so precise, perhaps so cold and aloof at first glance, can be so moving and warm.

All that remains are empty walls–save for Stella’s hefty shelf–and industrial rolling ladders to nowhere. May I have one? My leaden ladder was stolen away soon after the crowds left, as were my heavy hanging stones and funnel. They are just objects, just facts, solid things that corrode, bend, gather dust; they buckle, crack and fade in the weather; they develop patina. Merely material. And yet we fill them with import, with symbolism and metaphor and stories. Lead, for instance, leads us down a rabbit-hole of associations: heavy, slow, poison, alchemy, bullets, batteries, planets, radiation, sculpture. Layers of meaning and history and imagination are encrusted on things that matter. But I shouldn’t go on like a bore.

These are thoughts that fill my head when you are gone. Anselm used to put some of us outside for a spell, to feel the rain and sun and be changed, forgotten or transformed. Perhaps that’s what’s next. Time will tell.

After visiting an exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, I was assigned a writing project on one of the objects featured: Anselm Kiefer’s painting Ways of Worldly Wisdom: Arminius Battle. Kiefer’s body of art is largely informed by his experience growing up in post-war Germany. Many of his artworks explore ideas of war, death, and national identity represented not only by his use of symbols and subject matter, but also in the materials and techniques that he uses.

Our Kiefer painting is characteristic of his larger body of work that incorporates complex imagery, large scale, and the use of unorthodox materials such as straw and stones (the stones weigh over 600 lbs). The symbols that Kiefer incorporated into Untitled could be interpreted in many different ways. For example, the ladder at center could reference Jacob’s ladder from the Old Testament or represent a means of intercession between this world and the next. The ambiguity of this piece is further reflected in the title, Untitled-Kiefer leaves it to the viewer to bring their own personal experiences to the viewing process.

Art can depict points in history, provide clues into past cultures, portray emotions, and create meaningful experiences and inspirations for viewers.  It was this complexity in art and specifically in the art of Anselm Kiefer that inspired me to continue to study art history.

It is difficult at times to identify sources of inspiration.  My hope is that when you visit the collection of the North Carolina Museum of Art, you will feel inspired by a work of art no matter what your passion or interest.  Perhaps math students will be intrigued by Frank Stella’s Raqqa II, music enthusiasts stirred by New Orleans: Ragging Home by Romare Bearden, dancers inspired by the Egungun Costume, or see history to life in First News of the Battle of Lexington.

Share your experiences of being inspired at the NCMA in the comments section below.