art
German artist Georg Baselitz dies aged 88
Prominent contemporary visual artist explored range of techniques across six decades of work
TL;DR
- Georg Baselitz, a highly influential German artist known for his expressive paintings and sculptures, has died at 88.
- His work frequently engaged with German history, collective guilt, and the aftermath of war.
- Baselitz gained recognition for his distinctive technique of painting canvases upside down, starting in 1969.
- He was also a graphic artist and sculptor, with one wooden sculpture depicting a Nazi salute causing a stir at the Venice Biennale in 1980.
- Baselitz's career spanned over six decades, and he was considered one of Germany's most prominent contemporary visual artists.
- He moved from East to West Berlin in 1957 and adopted the name Baselitz in 1961.
- He faced controversy early in his career with the confiscation of sexually symbolic paintings in 1963.
- Baselitz achieved international breakthrough in the early 1980s and was one of the highest-priced living German painters.
- He expressed strong opinions on the art market and was critical of certain artistic traditions and peers.
- Baselitz made controversial statements about female artists but later expressed admiration for some.
- His work was admired by politicians, including former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.