58 East German Perspectives The collection of the Staatliches Museum Schwerin offers a richly nuanced account of the development of East German art from 1945 through to German reunification in 1990 and beyond. Despite the cultural and political constraints of the GDR, the works reflect a striking diversity of styles and themes. Common subjects include landscapes, still lifes, portraits and mythological figures. Many incorporate metaphorical or allegorical layers that, at times, express a veiled critique of prevailing political and social conditions. Even during the GDR period, the museum acquired works that deviated from the state-sanctioned imagery showing only the material-based conditions of life. These acquisitions, by artists like Willy Wolff (1905–1985) and René Graetz (1908–1974), helped foreground artistic approaches that stood apart from Socialist Realism, which remained the state-prescribed ideal until the end of the GDR. The collection places particular emphasis on Mail Art, a movement that emerged in the 1960s and functioned as a subversive communication network until 1989. Highlights include prints by the artist couple Robert Rehfeldt (1931–1993) and Ruth Wolf-Rehfeldt (1932– 2024). The collection continues to grow, with new acquisitions from both the GDR period and the years following reunification. Its aim is to reflect the multifaceted nature of East German art and to highlight artistic responses to the far-reaching transformations that have taken place since 1990. One of the most recent additions is the 2022 painting And Then the Sky Was Red by Cornelia Schleime (b. 1953). _SaS 6
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTMyNjA1