Press release
"The canvas lay on the floor, and I applied the pigments. It's precisely this painting technique that separates these from the previous paintings. One reason for instance, is that I don't have a wide or full view of what I have done while painting."
Georg Baselitz, Malen aus dem Kopf, auf dem Kopf oder aus dem Topf?, Derneburg, 25. November 1993.
On the occasion of Gallery Weekend, Galerie Michael Werner, Berlin is pleased to present a solo exhibition of German artist Georg Baselitz. The centerpiece of the exhibition is the monumental work Stilleben still - Bildneununddreißig from 1995. In juxtaposition, seven almost black linocuts form a contrast to the painting with exceptionally powerful colors.
Since the 1990s, Baselitz has turned his attention toward the formal aspects of his paintings. The emphasis is on color, form, line, and brushstroke; the motif in the paintings only finds its place as a quotation. During this time, Baselitz began laying his canvases on the floor, so that at no point during the painting process the canvas is completely visible as a whole to the artist. It is precisely during this time that Baselitz paints Stilleben still - Bildneununddreißig, the last work in the unique series Bildübereins, which he began in 1991. As a cycle consisting of 39 paintings, this series represents an exception in his artistic œuvre. The difference between his early and late work is significant; the paintings are not only larger and more colorful, but also more abstract and are rather composed of continuously overlapping painterly details.
Alongside the large-format, almost completely black linocuts from the late 1970s mark a contrast to the painting in terms of color and form. Baselitz first began experimenting with different printing techniques in the mid-1960s. The limitation of artistic means and the impossibility of correction that the graphic medium imposes on the artist serve Baselitz in the precision and manifestation of a pictorial idea. Baselitz's graphics are characterized by directness, a powerful dynamic, and clear decisiveness. The motifs of the linocuts on display, such as the eagle or the ear of corn, stem from the artist's memory and are closely related to his biography as well as to the specifics of German history.
By comparing the painting Stilleben still - Bildneununddreißig with the linocuts, the motif occupies a secondary place in both group of works. Baselitz's painterly power is expressed in the large-format painting, while the linocuts with reversed motifs explore the relationship between space and figure.
The exhibition Georg Baselitz - One painting and seven linocuts opens on 29 April at Galerie Michael Werner in Berlin, and is on view until 18 June 2022. Gallery opening hours are Tuesday to Friday, 11 am to 6 pm and Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. A catalogue will accompany the exhibition. For more information, please contact the gallery at galeriewerner@michaelwerner.de or by phone +49 (0)30 31491880.
