Architeutonic Goethe Wall Installation

1998-1999

"It was as if the spirit of Goethe channeled himself through me." says San Francisco artist Amy Berk about her recently completed Goethe Institute-SF library installation. "I had been reading Goethe's Theory of Colors and it's influence can certainly be seen in the bold and heady colors and materials that found their way onto the 2nd story library wall. The project was truly an amazing experience and was touched by many people of widely varying ages and backgrounds."

The installation uses various materials either selected by the artist or given to the artist for use in this installation. The material was then formed into twelve stripes of varying widths going across the entire 47' wall that is painted a bright yellow/orange called "Mountain Marigold". The fabrics used include grey felt which pays homage to Beuys and his continued influence on artists in both Germany and the US; ties, which were given to the artist from a friend whose dad of German/Jewish descent had recently died; denim, symbolizing the spirit of the west inherent in San Francisco; plastic circular "things" representing the windows on a boat bringing immigrants from Germany to the US; reflective materials which, acting as mirrors encourage viewers to become part of the experience and other materials such as fake fur, packaging material, chiffon and a big zipper that goes around the entire wall - integrating the old with the new - packaging the materials of life into art. This project melds an inner with an outer landscape, exploring the fluidity of materials and creating a german/us/sf synthesis with color, material and content. Forming a modern day international flag that pays homage to artists such as Polke, Albers and Christo, as well as Richter, Buren and Beuys, the ideas of the Bauhaus mix with Feminism and Art Informal to show the plasticities inherent in our societies: Art is Life, Life is Art.