I had always loved expressionist painting, like every European. In fact I admired it all the more because these were precisely the paintings despised by my father's generation.
Georg Baselitz is a painter, sculptor and graphic artist recognized as a pioneer of German Neo-Expressionist painting, known for his distinct paintings of upside down subjects.
I hang my work upside down to emphasize surface.
Born as Hans-Georg Kern in Deutschbaselitz, Upper Lusatia, Germany in 1938, Georg Baselitz is best known for his figurative, expressive paintings and sculptures. In 1969 he began painting his subjects upside down in an effort to overcome the representational, content-driven character of his earlier work, exploring what it means to be a German artist in the postwar era, and stress the artifice of painting. Drawing from a myriad of influences, including art of Soviet era, the Mannerist period and African sculptures, he developed his own, distinct artistic language.
His work is characterized by bold colors, forceful brushstrokes, and the incorporation of folkloric or archetypal subject matter. “I begin with an idea, but as I work, the picture takes over. Then there is the struggle between the idea I preconceived and the picture that fights for its own life.”
-
Frieze Masters 2023
11 - 15.10.2023The gallery is pleased to return to Frieze Masters London, bringing with them a selection of iconic artists from nearly every decade within the 20th...Read more -
Tefaf Maastricht 2020
7 - 15.03.2020Established in 1988, TEFAF is widely regarded as the world’s pre-eminent fair of art and antiques. TEFAF champions the finest quality art from across the...Read more