The “Angler Picture” (1977) shows a pike catch, staged as a serious trophy gesture and at the same time as a grotesque spectacle. The stern figure of the angler with the mighty predatory fish in the center contrasts with the grotesque parade at the bottom of the picture. Thus, the work combines realism with satirical exaggeration. In terms of art history, it follows in the tradition of critical figuration—from Grosz and Dix to the figurative painting of the 1970s, which questioned power, appropriation, and social rituals. Here, the pike becomes a symbol of aggression and possession, while the grotesque figures ironically break the seriousness of the pose and transform the painting into a bitterly ironic parable about human behavior.
ANGLERBILD, 1977, Öl auf Nessel, 150×100 cm
Skizzen zum Anglerbild, 1977, Tinte/Bleistift/Kugelschreiber auf a 4 Papier