A.R. Penck made paintings and sculptures that feature neo-primitive symbols, figures, and patterns; he rose to prominence alongside fellow Neo-Expressionists such as Georg Baselitz and Jörg Immendorff. The group shared a brusque formal language and an interest in the political systems and cultural history of Germany. Penck was particularly critical of the repressive policies in East Berlin, where he lived until 1980. The artist developed a spare formal language in his paintings and, early in his career, used everyday materials such as cardboard boxes, slats, used bottles, tinfoil, and wood throughout his sculpture. He exhibited in Cologne and West Berlin, participated in Documenta, and showed at institutions including the Gropius Bau and the Tate. His work has sold for six figures at auction and belongs in the collections of the Tate, the Museum of Modern Art, the Stedelijk Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., among others.