Gerhard Richter is Number One

Vanity Fair names in its December issue under the title "Paint by Numbers" the six greatest artists alive. Even though the title is a bit misleading – because not only painters but also a photographer, a sculptor and performance artists are under the top six – that poll is pretty interesting. And the winner is .... Gerhard Richter!

Screenshot from Vanity Fair Magazine, http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/12/greatest-living-artists-poll

The magazine asked more than 100 art stars, curators, academics, and museum directors to name their six contestants (interestingly, art dealers were not asked for that poll, with the reason that they "must look after their own"). The artists who gained the most votes were: Gerhard Richter, Jasper Johns, Richard Serra, Bruce Nauman, Cindy Sherman, and Ellsworth Kelly (in descending order). I'm excited that one photographer – Cindy Sherman – is under the top six. (BTW Nauman also works in photography, but is mostly know for his neon-works and performance.)

These are the numbers:

Gerhard Richter: 24 votes
Jasper Johns: 20 votes
Richard Serra: 19 votes
Bruce Nauman: 17 votes
Cindy Sherman: 12 votes
Ellsworth Kelly: 10 votes

Gerhard Richter with his 24 votes is clearly ahead of the other artists. John Baldessari, Jeff Koons, William Kentridge, and Ai Weiwei each received five votes. David Hammons, Brice Marden, Ed Ruscha, James Turrell, and Kara Walker received four votes.

Facts:

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/12/greatest-living-artists-poll
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2013/11/greatest-living-artists-poll-results