Friedrich Kunath The Grand Tour

by Bejar, Dan; Fry, Naomi; Higgie, Jennifer; Pfaller, Robert

• ISBN13: 9781580936767
• ISBN10: 1580936768
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2025-11-19
• Publisher: The Monacelli Press

Summary

The most comprehensive book to date on contemporary artist Friedrich Kunath

Born in former East Germany and now based in Los Angeles, Friedrich Kunath makes work whose core lies in the fusion of the two cultures. Kunath’s paintings combine the sublime aesthetic of German Romanticism with motifs from western popular culture, incorporating lyrical references, cartoon imagery, and album covers with his signature style combining pathos and a witty sense of humor.

This unique monograph features works from the past 30 years. A dedicated section of the book documents one of Kunath’s immersive installations, constructed by the artist to house his paintings and sculptures, along with books, record albums, DVDs, posters, and trinkets, all individually inventoried in the book.

Accompanying the paintings is a visual narrative that follows Kunath along his travels around the world, encapsulating his many identities as artist, tennis coach, car enthusiast, and consummate collector.

Author Biography

Friedrich Kunath studied at the Braunschweig University of Arts, Braunschweig, Germany and now lives and works in Los Angeles.

Dan Bejar is a Canadian musician and frontman of the band Destroyer.

Naomi Fry is a staff writer at the New Yorker.

Jennifer Higgie is an Australian, London-based writer and the former editor of frieze magazine.

Robert Pfaller is Professor of Philosophy and Cultural Theory at the University of Art and Industrial Design of Linz, Austria.