Online exhibition to follow
On view 1 April—25 May 2021SalzburgMirabellplatz 2
5020 Salzburg
Georg Baselitz’s new series of works comprises portraits of his wife Elke, whose image has occupied a prominent position in the development of his practice for over 50 years. Created in his new studio in Austria, this series shows Elke enthroned on a stage-like construction against an unusually neutral background. Her figure stands out, pastose and multipartite, evoking existentialist connotations through her solitary suspension in the undefined space.
The geometric structure of the platform, the rich colours and her dominating physical presence are reminiscent of Francis Bacon’s seminal pope paintings. These works reveal Baselitz’s ongoing conceptual exploration of his personal style, as well as subtle art-historical references, such as allusions to German Expressionism, French Art Informel and the freedom of American abstract painting.
Baselitz paid explicit homage to Bacon’s first paintings of the Pope. Dissatisfied with installing her on the throne of Pius XII, he made Elke the colour of the papal chasuble. — Didier Ottinger
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue with an essay by Didier Ottinger, Deputy Director of the Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris and curator of the acclaimed monographic Francis Bacon show in 2019. |
