Arnulf Rainer is an Austrian artist known for his use of appropriation and his process of layering paint over photographs, transforming existing artworks by layering them with thick, gestural marks. “The principles of my works—are the extinction of expression, permanent covering and contemplative tranquility,” the artist mused. “My ideal is the completely dark picture, full of some overwhelming silence.” Born on December 8, 1929 in Baden, Austria, the largely self-taught painter is associated with both Surrealism and the Art Informel movement. Along with Ernst Fuchs, Arik Brauer, Anton Lehmden and others, Rainer formed the Hundsgruppe, or Dog Pack, an artist collective which had its first and only exhibition in...