Gerhard Richter’s September and the politics of ambivalence

Mafalda Dâmaso

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-40654-1_9

Gerhard Richter’s September and the politics of ambivalence

Mafalda Dâmaso^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

External organisation

Research output: Chapter/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Academic

Abstract

The 9/11 attacks renewed the pertinence of traditional discussions regarding the representation of terror but also those surrounding issues of mediation. Famously among the multiple aesthetic responses to this event is a painting by the German Gerhard Richter titled September (2005). Seemingly abstract, a close engagement with the painting reveals the depiction of the second plane as it hits the south tower. This essay proposes that the abstraction, the ambiguity of September (to use Robert Storr’s terminology), provides an opportunity for the viewers to consider 9/11 not merely as a terrorist attack, but also as a political act that is framed by a long history of economic and cultural exchanges.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Terror in Global Narrative
Subtitle of host publication	Representations of 9/11 in the Age of Late-Late Capitalism
Publisher	Springer International Publishing AG
Pages	157-171
Number of pages	15
ISBN (Electronic)	9783319406541
ISBN (Print)	9783319406534
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40654-1_9
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2016
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2016.

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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10.1007/978-3-319-40654-1_9

Cite this

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Gerhard Richter’s September and the politics of ambivalence

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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