Horst Antes
German, born 1936Interior Nach di Modena (Interior in Modena), n.d.
Not on view
Lithograph on paper
Dimensions19 5/8 × 25 1/2 in. (49.8 × 64.8 cm)
Image: 19 5/8 × 25 1/2 in. (49.8 × 64.8 cm)
Museum purchase, 2002.50
Horst Antes’ early artistic style was greatly influenced by Abstract Expressionism, with its emphasis on violently flung paint and expressive brushstrokes. Around 1960, Antes began giving shape to his former abstract style, and from this evolved a consistent theme in his work -- a figural representation that he referred to as “Kopffüssler” (Head-Foot). Inspired in part by the Kachina dolls of the North American Pueblo Indians, this entity is comprised of a large head, eye, or foot without a body, and first appeared in 1962 in his painting Large Blue Figure.
The “Kopffüssler” figure has been repeated in a variety of configurations in Antes’ paintings, sculptures and prints, and expresses Antes’ affinity for both the spiritual concepts of Pueblo Indian culture, and the Surrealists’ emphasis on dreams and the non-rational nature of the subconscious mind. Interior Nach di Modena represents Antes’ later style in which the figurative meets the imaginary.
