Georg Baselitz
Born – Saxony, Germany 1928
Georg Baselitz was a pioneer of the Expressionist revival. He moved to West Berlin after 1956 because he was expelled from the East Berlin School for “socio-political immaturity”. His first solo show in East Berlin caused a scandal due to its erotically allusive content. He became apolitical choosing to paint insignificant subjects claiming that “the object expresses nothing…painting is autonomous”. His focus was on the formal qualities of painting and the work’s physical identity as such. He sought to explore the boundaries between figuration and abstraction. Since the end of the 1960s, Baselitz has turned his images upside-down to set imagination free.” Adieu is a strident example of this idiosyncrasy. His intention is that the spectator will consider the purely pictorial or abstract qualities of the painting before seeking to analyse the content of the picture. The monumental wood carvings of heads and figures which he began in 1979 reflect his fascination with African sculpture. They possess a primitive and pagan resonance; which complements his paintings.
Masterpieces:
- Adler
- Am Strand
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
Books About georg baselitz
Georg Baselitz: Painting & Sculpture 1960-2008
Georg Baselitz
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Georg Baselitz: A Retrospective
Norman Rosenthal
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Georg Baselitz
Diane Waldman
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