Georg Baselitz
Subtitle: the heroes
By: Georg Baselitz ; Städel Museum ; editors, Max Hollein, Eva Mongi-Vollmer ; translation from German, Gérard A. Goodrow
Contributors: Städtische Galerie im Städelschen Kunstinstitut Frankfurt am Main; Moderna museet (Stockholm, Sweden); Palazzo delle esposizioni (Rome, Italy); Museo Guggenheim Bilbao
Publisher: Hirmer
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 166
ISBN-13: 9783777425641; 9783777425689
Subjects: Exhibitions
Other titles: Heroes
Description: In 1965/66 Georg Baselitz created the monumental series The Heroes and New Types , which he presented in wild colour and with defiant style. By turning his attention towards the tradition of representational painting his work formed a striking contrast to the trends towards abstraction and Expressionism prevailing during the 1960s, thereby embarking on his own unique path. In his sceptical basic attitude towards post-war Germany Baselitz (1938) emphasised in his works the ambivalent aspects of the present in which he lived. His Heroes appear correspondingly contradictory with their military fatigues in tatters, their failure as deeply engraved as their resignation. The contrast to the success story of Western Germany's economic miracle could hardly be more sharply defined, but there is more at stake: with this group of works the artist reflected his own position in relation to society. It was the artist's self-assertion and determination of identity that were at stake and that Baselitz formulated so forcefully.
Notes: Translation of: Die Helden.

This catalogue has been published in conjunction with the exhibition "Georg Baselitz - Die Helden", Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, 30 June 2016 - 23 October 2016 ; Moderna Museet, Stockholm, 12. November 2016 - 19 February 2017 ; Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, 4 March 2017 - 11 June 2017 ; Museo Guggenheim, Bilbao, 30 June 2017 - 5 November 2017.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 160-162).