Ashes and Diamond, 1994/95
Oil, fire, smoke on canvas
(H x W)200 × 202 cm
About the workLike a black hole, Otto Piene's painting draws the viewer's gaze to its centre. The title refers to the formation of diamonds under pressure and heat as a symbol of profound transformation. In his Düsseldorf studio, Piene discovered a similar remodelling force in fire – in flames, smoke and soot. From 1958 onwards, he experimented there with the equally destructive and creative power of fire in controlled burning processes. Working at the interface between art, science and technology shaped Piene's entire career: from co-founding the ZERO group to his professorship in environmental art in the USA.
AccessionKemp Collection Foundation
ProvenanceOktober 1999 Willi Kemp (Köln 1927 - 2020 Düsseldorf) erworben vom Künstler; 2011 Stiftung Sammlung Kemp im Kunstpalast erworben durch Schenkung Willi Kemp
Inventory number0.mkp.2011.Kemp131
