GEORG BASELITZ

Paintings don’t bite, at least they don’t nip you in the calves as dogs do, but they do do something, they can turn your head. A motif, on the other hand, may well bite, come rain or shine. Paintings with a motif which is turned upside down force the viewer to do a somersault, if they are particularly good. Paintings hang securely on a hook, and whatever hangs down is a testimony to gravity. Whatever is depicted on such a painting, especially if it is upside down on it, doesn’t hit the ground, it is just more visible and hits the eye.

—Georg Baselitz

Georg Baselitz
Gertrud’s Hut I
1998
Oil on canvas
89 3/16 x 64 3/4 inches (226.5 x 164.5 cm)
© Georg Baselitz