"Jim's Head with Branches", 2018

In his work, the American artist Jim Dine deals intensively with autobiographical themes, which he condenses in his typical symbols such as the heart and the bathrobe. The theme of the self-portrait, one of the most important genres in art history, therefore plays a major role. His monumental sculpture "Jim's Head with Branches" is a self-portrait with a variety of allusions to autobiographical and art historical themes. Formally, it is a reminiscence of ancient colossal statues, especially the metre-high ancient head of Emperor Constantine the Great in Rome. Scattered over the head are imprints of tools, a frequent motif in the work of Jim Dine, whose grandfather owned a hardware store. The branches surrounding the head, in turn, refer to psychology and symbolise the artist's world of thought as he confronts his unconscious mind and memories.