Georg Baselitz

Georg Baselitz
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Name	Georg Baselitz
Caption	Georg Baselitz in 2011
Birth name	Hans-Georg Kern
Birth date	23 January 1938
Birth place	Deutschbaselitz, Saxony, Germany
Nationality	German
Field	Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking
Training	Academy of Fine Arts, Berlin-Weißensee, Academy of Fine Arts, West Berlin
Movement	Neo-expressionism
Awards	Praemium Imperiale (2004), Knight of the Legion of Honour (2021)

Georg Baselitz. A seminal figure in post-war German art, Georg Baselitz is renowned for his provocative, figurative paintings and monumental wooden sculptures that challenged artistic and political conventions. Emerging from the divided Germany of the 1960s, he became a leading force in Neo-expressionism, famously inverting his subjects to subvert narrative and focus on the materiality of paint. His career, marked by a relentless exploration of national identity and artistic tradition, has cemented his status as one of the most influential and collected European artists of his generation.

Early life and education

Born Hans-Georg Kern in 1938 in Deutschbaselitz, then part of Nazi Germany, he later adopted his hometown's name. His early life was shaped by the devastation of World War II and the subsequent division of Germany into East and West Germany. He began his artistic studies in 1956 at the Academy of Fine Arts, Berlin-Weißensee in East Berlin but was expelled after two semesters for "socio-political immaturity." He subsequently fled to West Berlin in 1957, continuing his education at the Academy of Fine Arts, West Berlin under Hann Trier, where he was exposed to Art informel and the philosophies of Antonin Artaud. During this period, he was deeply influenced by the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche and the raw, psychological intensity of Edvard Munch.

Artistic style and technique

Baselitz developed a distinctive, confrontational style that deliberately broke with prevailing abstract trends like Abstract Expressionism and Tachisme. In 1969, he began painting his subjects upside-down, a radical strategy to negate representational content and emphasize the visceral power of the brushstroke and color. His work is characterized by a rough, expressive application of paint, often using a palette knife, and a recurring focus on fragmented, heroic, or archetypal figures. Alongside painting, he produces forceful, carved wooden sculptures, such as those in his Modell für eine Skulptur series, which are directly cut with a chainsaw and painted. His graphic work in etching and woodcut is equally prolific and innovative, pushing the technical boundaries of printmaking.

Major works and series

His early, controversial "Pandemonium" manifestos and paintings like Die große Nacht im Eimer (1962-63) depicted crude, provocative figures that led to obscenity charges. The seminal Die großen Freunde (1965) exemplifies his early heroic figures. After adopting the inverted motif, key paintings include Der Wald auf dem Kopf (1969) and the monumental Die Mädchen von Olmo (1981). His "Remix" paintings, begun in 2005, involve reinterpreting his own earlier works. Major sculptural statements include the painted wooden Modell für eine Skulptur (1980), presented at the Venice Biennale, and the towering Frau am Fenster (2011). His series of Russian-themed works in the late 1990s engaged with the art of Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich.

Exhibitions and recognition

Baselitz achieved early notoriety and his first solo exhibition was in 1963 at Galerie Werner & Katz in Berlin. Major international retrospectives have been held at institutions including the Whitechapel Gallery in London (1983), the Guggenheim Museum in New York City (1995), and the Royal Academy of Arts (2007). He has frequently represented Germany at the Venice Biennale (1980) and Documenta in Kassel (1972, 1982). Among his numerous accolades are the Praemium Imperiale for painting (2004), the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (2004), and being named a Knight of the Legion of Honour by France in 2021. His work is held in major collections worldwide, from the Museum of Modern Art to the Centre Pompidou.

Influence and legacy

Baselitz, alongside contemporaries like Anselm Kiefer and Jörg Immendorff, was instrumental in reviving figurative, emotionally charged painting in Europe during the late 20th century, directly influencing the international Neo-expressionist movement. His insistence on grappling with German history, trauma, and artistic heritage provided a model for later generations confronting national identity. His technical innovations in painting and sculpture, and his conceptual rigor regarding the autonomy of the artwork, have left a lasting impact on global contemporary art. He has also been a significant teacher, serving as a professor at the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe from 1977 to 1983, influencing numerous younger German artists.

Category:German painters Category:German sculptors Category:Neo-expressionism Category:1938 births Category:Living people