Robert Storr Analyzes Gerhard Richter's 9/11 Painting 'Septembre'

Robert Storr's book 'Septembre' examines Gerhard Richter's 2005 painting of the same name, which depicts the destruction of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001. The modestly sized work (52 x 72 cm) was donated by Richter to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Storr, who lived in Brooklyn at the time, begins with a personal account of 9/11, describing how papers from the towers landed in his garden. He explores how Richter's blurred abstraction forces viewers to reconstruct the image, making the trauma palpable. The painting was based on press photographs, and Storr notes that the warm tones in the canvas represent the exploding plane. Richter's technique of smearing and scraping creates a sense of disintegration. Storr also discusses Richter's 'Cityscapes' and the challenge of history painting in the 21st century. A second book by Storr, 'Cage', on Richter's paintings inspired by John Cage, is published simultaneously. An exhibition of Richter's work is at Tate Modern until January 8, and the Centre Pompidou will host a major show from June 6 to September 24, 2012.