Holocaust painting goes on display in Baden-Baden

Gerhard Richter's "Birkenau" is made up of giant tables of color, which largely appear to be overcast in shades of grey. Added color accent of green and red permeate the canvases, while concealing the original background images taken inside the concentration camp in 1944. Rather than illustrating the Holocaust, Richter skillfully hides its horrors through abstraction.

Richter has spent the majority of his lifetime collecting Holocaust-related information – a subject of particular interest to Germany's most venerated contemporary artist. He refers to his massive compilation, which encompasses photographs, newspaper clippings and other documents, as the "Atlas."

This oil painting from 1971 is also based on documents from Gerhard Richter's Atlas, and will be exhibited in Baden-Baden alongside "Birkenau." Richter gave this image a rather elusive name: "Ausschnitt" - which translates as "section" or "cutting."

Another piece of abstract art produced by Gerhard Richter will also be shown at the exhibition at the Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden. "Six Yellow" almost appears to be a color Chart, and could easily be confused with Sigmar Polke's "With Yellow Squares," which will also be shown at the same exhibit.

Other artists highlighted in the exhibit include Willem de Kooning, one of the most important representatives of abstract expressionism in the United States. With an emphasis on evoking emotion, painters like de Kooning sought to escape perfection, sensibility and conformity. Like Gerhard Richter, de Kooning also used abstraction to address shocking issues.

Gerhard Richter ranks highly as one of Germany's leading and most expensive artists. His artworks have repeatedly broken their own records at auction. But the 83-year-old artist from Dresden does not seem to care much about the lucrative business that art can be. Richter says that the skyrocketing prices fetched at auction for his works are proof of the "ludicrous" nature of today's art world.

The Museum Frieder Burda is a private collection situated next door to the State Art Museum in Baden-Baden. The building is based on blueprints by architect Richard Meier, and houses the Frieder Burda estate's art collection - one of Europe's largest publishers. The Museum highlights modern and contemporary art in addition to special exhibits, including Gerhard Richter's "Birkenau."