Der dritte Stand 1995

This is ‘Der dritte Stand’ by Sigmar Polke, we don't know exactly when it was made but Polke was making these amazing, experimental works throughout his life. Look at the way Polke approaches mark-making! There’s a real sense of play and experimentation, like he’s pushing the boundaries of what printmaking can do. You can almost feel him experimenting with different techniques, layering images, and seeing what happens. The surface has this incredible, slightly broken texture, like he’s intentionally disrupting the image. It’s not smooth or polished, but kind of raw and gritty. The black and white are stark and graphic, but then you have these bars of bright yellow slicing through the composition, adding this jolt of color. It's a similar attitude to someone like Kippenberger, and it all feels loose and intuitive, but also strangely precise. For me, Polke has always been a reminder that art is not about perfection, it's about the process of discovery and invention.