Gerhard Richter : Panorama

*****
Three rooms in, and the exhibition was having little impact. But I like Richter. Actually I really like him; it could be the National Portrait Gallery exhibition was too recent or perhaps it was the Serrota et al. curating (I've never been a fan). But then it hit...and on seeing those mult-layered abstractions the puzzle was complete. It is remarkable how such an eclectic body of work (the black & whites, the photorealism, the glass sculptures, the painted photographs and abstracts) can appear so coherent, even reliant on one another. The work has inspired me, I know that it has influenced despite that I am yet to take up a brush. Yes I too have been applying paint with a squeegee, but it is much more than this because it seems as if Richter has declassified the secrets and importance of surface. And before I forget...well done Nick. The exhibition is a triumph.