Where to See Cage (1-6): Tate Modern, London

Gerhard Richter created this Cage (1-6) in 2006, six large canvases named after composer John Cage. Layers of paint are applied and scraped away with a squeegee, creating complex surfaces where colors appear and disappear beneath veils of gray.

Richter's "abstract paintings" emerge from a controlled process that produces unpredictable results. Each scraping reveals or conceals what lies beneath. The title honors Cage's use of chance operations in music. The six paintings sold at auction in 2020 for $30 million combined. They hang together at Tate Modern.

John Cage (1912-1992) was an avant-garde composer who used chance operations and silence. His most famous work, 4'33", consists entirely of silence. Richter admired his acceptance of accident.

Richter applies layers of paint and drags a large squeegee across the surface. This removes and redistributes paint, creating effects the artist controls only partially.

Gerhard Richter each scraping reveals or conceals what lies beneath. The title honors Cage's use of chance operations in music.

Cage (1-6)

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