Vorne & Hinten

Although Martin Kippenberger conceived the two etchings Vorne and Hinten as two individual prints, but their titles, motives and complementary colours suggest a connection between them. The skirt which hangs loosley around the woman’s thighs in Vorne is completely removed in Hinten, her hand suggesting that she is about to remove her underwear as well.
Kippenberger’s focus on the center of the woman’s body, her genitals and her bottom (the German words Vorne and Hinten mean Front and Back) point to the politics of seeing and being seen, to the notion of male agency and female objectification. In this context, Kippenberger’s attention to detail and meticulous work with the etching needle take on an additional layer of meaning, suggesting the artist’s focused, lingering gaze on the body of the woman he is portraying.