Indianer mit Adler (Indian with Eagle)

In bold tones, the incomplete figure of an American Indian with yellow and green features dominates the composition, standing between the spread wings of an eagle with purple feathers. The incongruity of the figurative motif and the colourful palette is matched by the artist’s choice of medium: Lurex, a textile fibre with a metallic surface.

Coming relatively early in the artistic career of Sigmar Polke, this work entitled Indianer mit Adler (Indian with an eagle) demonstrates the painter’s already mature visual and iconographic vocabulary. In addition to experimenting with new media and the choice of tribal and hermetic patterns, here he adds the use of contemporary techniques (screen printing and spray paint in this case) widely deployed by the American Pop Art movement.

The work Indianer mit Adler (Indian with an eagle) was presented for the first time by the Pinault Collection during the 2016 retrospective exhibition “Sigmar Polke” at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice.