This Man is Playing on Luxus
- Artist: Martin Kippenberger
- Date: 1979
- Medium: Lithograph on paper
- Dimensions: image: 355 x 216 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the “This Man is Playing on Luxus” by Martin Kippenberger. It’s a 1979 lithograph that doubles as a promotional poster for the first single of Kippenberger’s punk band Grugas. The figure in the centre is the artist himself, rendered in a bold, almost caricature‑like pose that captures his playful, irreverent spirit. The work sits in the context of late‑70s West Berlin, a time when Kippenberger was building a collaborative studio with Gisela Capitain and running the S.O.36 performance space.
The poster is more than a simple ad; it’s part of a larger body of over 170 prints he produced to market everything from art shows to parties. Critics have noted that these posters encapsulate his humour, social critique, and willingness to blur the lines between art and everyday life.
In short, this lithograph is a snapshot of a young artist challenging the status quo, using mass‑produced media to spread his message while also poking fun at himself.
See it in person
This Man is Playing on Luxus is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
