Georg Baselitz Orangenesser dazwischen, 2020

Georg Baselitz’s pictorial field has become increasingly abstract in recent works, as he finds new ways in which to approach established subjects. The Orangenesser (Orange Eaters) formed one of the artist’s pivotal series from the 1980s. Orangenesser dazwischen (2020) forms part of a recent series of paintings that mark a significant development in his technique, created using a transfer method. The artist paints the composition onto a piece of unstretched canvas, which is then pressed against a second canvas while wet, creating a mirror-image impression in the final work. His technique leaves visible artefacts, such as the blurring of the face or the aerated texture of the magenta paint, which contribute to the gestural expressivity of the work. The figure in Orangenesser dazwischen is almost subsumed by the vigour of Baselitz’s mark-making, with traces of the artist’s hand evident in the energetic, gestural strokes and drips of paint. A major retrospective spanning Georg Baselitz’s career to date opens at the Centre Pompidou in Paris on 20 October 2021 and runs until 7 March 2022.