Georg Baselitz, one of the most distinctive and provocative figures in contemporary art, has built his practice around challenging the viewer’s perception from the very beginning. From the existential figures shown in the early 1960s and removed for being deemed “obscene,” to the Heroes series depicting post-war destruction and vulnerability, and later to the inverted trees, eagles, factories, and self-portraits that left a lasting mark on art history, this journey radically transformed Baselitz’s approach to painting.
This comprehensive TASCHEN edition presents the artist’s work across painting, sculpture, engraving, and printmaking from a holistic perspective. For Baselitz, turning motifs upside down is not merely a formal gesture; it is a way of liberating painting and suspending narrative. Through this approach, he creates an experimental field shaped by colour structures, mythological references, Soviet propaganda imagery, and everyday yet absurd scenes. His more recent “remix” works establish a dialogue across time with his own earlier practice.
From the 1980s onwards, Baselitz expanded beyond painting into raw wooden sculptures carved with axes and chainsaws, later developing a body of three-dimensional work enriched by bronze. These works reveal a physical and almost aggressive material language. Large-format reproductions, installation views, and studio photographs throughout the book convey the energy of this practice with striking immediacy.
Essays by writers from different disciplines examine Baselitz’s artistic strategies, his relationship with history and myth, his sculptural practice, and his dark humour from multiple perspectives. Completed by a studio conversation with the artist, his own words, and an illustrated biography, this volume is one of the most comprehensive publications ever devoted to Georg Baselitz.
“Paintings do not bite, but they do something—they can make your head spin.”
— Georg Baselitz
Artist: Georg Baselitz
Editor: Hans Werner Holzwarth
Publisher: TASCHEN
Binding: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 616
Visual Content: More than 400 works, including paintings, sculptures, prints, and installations
Language: Multilingual edition in English, French, and German
ISBN: 978-3-8365-9910-8
