Nanotech, Blur and Tragedy in Recent Artworks by Gerhard Richter

The author considers Gerhard Richter's work on nanotechnology, highlighting how these pieces continue the artist's ontology on photographic blur and, as such, raise questions about truth and reality with respect to the mass media's visual presentation of nanotechnology. The four works discussed include: Erster Blick (2000) and Graphit (2005), the mural Strontium (2004) and the suite of sheets numbered 737 to 754 in the continuous image installation Atlas. Examining these works, the author notes Richter's general skepticism about the benefits of technology, shown through his allusions to war and terrorism, and contrasts Richter's artworks with utopian visions of nano-science in the mass media.