Georg Baselitz
‚The Heroes‘

Frankfurt on the Main

„You haven’t lost your time, you haven’t wasted your time,“ these are the motivating words Georg Baselitz chose to introduce his series and exhibition The Heroes that is currently running at Städel Museum. The German painter arrived in a black suit calmly ready to start the press conference and talked his works with Max Hollein, the curator who says, the exhibition is „a self portrait and reflection“ made by the artist about himself and the world he lives in. And Baselitz agrees on this saying that ”we live in destroyed landscapes, with destroyed people in a destroyed society, I do not want to impose any new order, there is enough order already.“ The show presents an emotional and broken representation of the world leaving many open interpretative questions. The works with an imposing body and surprisingly small heads contrast the compositions of these heroic figures. These disproportions make them look too big for the canvas, ready to break the frame. The dramatic atmosphere of the painting is enhanced by the colors. “I was trying to find myself, and I found dirty colors.” says Baselitz with a shy smile before adding that these paintings provoked a scandal when first painting with these hearty mat tones in the 1960s surprising the pop art landscape of the time rhythmed by flashy colors and clear forms.

The Heroes presents disillusioned, and half dressed characters in mostly confronting postures. These aspects are exposed in Different signs, a self representation of the artist wandering in a desert landscape with his color palette and his vital organs popping out of his chest. As many of the exhibition figures’, his gaze questions the viewer who is meeting the existentialism and explosive pictures of Baselitz.

Georg Baselitz in front of Blocked Painter, oil on canvas, 162 x 130 cm, 1965. 

Georg Baselitz (*1938), The Modern Painter, 1965 Oil on canvas, 162 x 130 cm, Privately owned

Georg Baselitz (*1938), With Red Flag, 1965, Oil on canvas, 163 x 131 cm, Private collection courtesy of Art Agency, Partners

Städel Museum

June 30 – October 23, 2016

Schaumainkai 63
60596 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

Calendar