Thomas Schütte (b. 1954)

An insignia of crossed olive branches over a checked ground of yellow and green, outlined by a thick border of black, make up Thomas Schütte’s banner to anti-monumentality. In his work, the artist explores the space between history and banality, creating emblems and monuments which defy the etiquette of commemoration – prevalent in the artist’s native post-war Germany – with trite slogans and insipid symbols. Choosing paper as a medium is an important part of stripping away pathos, as the artist specifies: ‘I prefer the sketch because you can just roll up a month's work and pack it under your arm. Not everything has to be cast in lead’. An early and worked example of the artist’s painting on paper, with excellent provenance, this work is a coat of arms for Schütte’s toppling of triumphalism.