Lithograph on cardboard paper. Hand-signed by artist, bottom.

Günther Förg’s The Reason Why I Work With Maurice, is Because Here the Beer Cost Me Nothing (1990) is a bold and conceptually playful lithograph that exemplifies his engagement with text, materiality, and humor. The composition consists of a red monochromatic background with embossed, slightly uneven lettering that conveys the artwork’s title in a casual, almost offhand manner. Förg, known for his multidisciplinary approach spanning painting, photography, and printmaking, often explored themes of abstraction, architecture, and textual interplay. This work embodies his interest in minimal yet expressive gestures, using language as both a visual and conceptual element. The statement itself, humorous and anecdotal, adds a personal and almost irreverent tone, contrasting the stark formalism of the piece. By embedding text into the medium itself, Förg blurs the boundary between message and material, turning language into a tangible and aesthetic experience.