Martin Kippenberger, Untitled (Caesar's Palace), 1991
Latex and acrylic on canvas
181.2 x 151.1 cm
In the 1990s Martin Kippenberger went from Europe to New York for an extended stay, which started a phase of experimenting with different media, including ‘painting’ with latex and rubber. The deliberate inclusion of actual rubber-coated objects breaks with the painterly texture of the thick acrylic and adds a sculptural layer. These ‘Latexbilder’ (Latex Pictures) are covered with social commentary and symbolism that range from trivial to obscure.
Towards the end of the year, Kippenberger started traveling along the American West Coast. The façade of Caesars Palace, one of Las Vegas’ big casino-hotels, is clearly referenced in the background. A large fried egg covers most of the building, which is one of Kippenberger’s recurring motifs. The egg makes a playful refence to rebirth and reproduction, ideas made all the more present by the latex, which creates the impression of a ‘second-skin’ stretched over the canvas, and which is also a material with sexual connotations.
The man with large glasses chatting on the phone bears a resemblance to the artist and places him in the centre of what could be a narrative about the circle of life.