Günther Uecker’s art: concentrated, disparate, contradictory, provocative and passionate, an oeuvre buoyed by a dogged optimism — the antithesis of the lukewarm conciliatory brand of optimism that seeks only to bring solace to an inflamed, chaotic world. The injury inflicted on human beings by their fellow humans is his central theme, his creative force drawn from a deep well of compassion. Born in 1930, harrowing first-hand experiences at the end of the Second World War made an indelible impression on the 15-year-old Uecker … In more than 30 years of ongoing dialogue with filmmaker Michael Kluth, excerpts of which are now presented in this volume, Günther Uecker candidly discusses his life and work. The result is an intimate portrait of one of the most significant and prolific contemporary artists from the post-war period to the present day. Here Günther Uecker gives personal insight into the signature nail works, the sculptures, paintings, embossed prints and performances that have made him an artist of international renown.