Anselm Kiefer's 'Transition from Cool to Warm' at Gagosian explores eroticism through books and watercolors

Anselm Kiefer's exhibit titled 'Transition from Cool to Warm' was showcased at Gagosian Gallery, located at 522 West 21st Street in New York City, from May 5 to September 1, 2017. Central to the exhibition were watercolors and books, complemented by several large paintings acting as bookends. Kiefer displayed 33 volumes, including 'Klingsor's Garden,' which alludes to Wagner's opera Parsifal, and historical works like 'Jules Michelet: les Reines de France' (2013). A sketchbook from the mid-1970s, 'Erotik im Fernen Osten oder Transition from Cool to Warm,' offered personal insights into his newer creations. On June 22, select books were taken from vitrines for closer inspection, turning static pieces into engaging narratives. The gallery's design followed a basilica layout, featuring a central nave with side aisles. Prior to the opening, Kiefer spoke with Paul Holdengräber at The New York Public Library, reflecting on his childhood in a bombed house and his 'Occupations' series. His erotic imagery draws inspiration from Jean-Noël Vuarnet's 'Extases Féminines' (Paris, 1980), which explores figures like Hildegard of Bingen and Catherine of Siena. Works such as 'Ohne title' (2017), 'Des Meeres und der Liebe Wellen' (2017), and 'Schlange' (2017) utilized lead surfaces and re-bar grates, evoking themes of Catholic martyrdom. Kiefer's art intertwines religious motifs with sexuality, femininity, and longing, forming a walled garden of plaster volumes.