Cage (1) - (6)
- Artist: Gerhard Richter
- Date: 2006
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 2901 x 2905 x 46 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the “Cage (1) – (6)” by Gerhard Richter, a 2006 series of six massive, square canvases. Each panel measures roughly 3 m on a side and bears a thick, textured surface that feels almost tactile. Richter layers oil, then scrapes it with a huge squeegee, producing horizontal and vertical bands, multi‑directional scratches and hidden sub‑layers that peek through. The process is as much chance as skill – the paint sometimes sticks, sometimes slips, and the unexpected marks become part of the composition.
The six works differ in colour and mood. “Cage 1” is lime green with a bold bottle‑green bar; “Cage 2” drifts through pale grey, white and lime, with flashes of red; “Cage 3” is a grey‑white field dotted with greens, blues and reds; “Cage 4” shows deep, exposed layers; “Cage 5” is dominated by grey with accents of white, red and black; “Cage 6” offers the richest palette – green, white, yellow, black and blue.
Richter drew inspiration from John Cage’s ideas of discipline, chance and coincidence, listening to Cage’s music while working. The series invites you to feel the texture, to notice the hidden layers, and to let the unexpected surprises speak for themselves.
See it in person
Cage (1) - (6) is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
