[no title] 1995

Curator: This etching by Georg Baselitz presents an inverted figure rendered with stark, wiry lines against a sparsely etched background. The work is currently held in the Tate Collections. Editor: It strikes me as a raw expression, almost frantic. The figure's disorientation is mirrored in the chaotic, tangled lines, giving it an immediate visceral impact. Curator: Baselitz often inverts his figures, a motif he began exploring in the late 1960s. Some see this inversion as a disruption of convention, forcing us to reconsider our perceptions of reality and the human form. Editor: I see the inversion as a disruption of perspective, like a mirror image fractured across a plane—the figure's anatomy is presented like a puzzle, forcing one to analyze its lines and negative space, the tension between form and absence. Curator: Precisely. Baselitz's images invite us to question what we consider normal, what is right-side-up, and how that influences our understanding. The scrambling of the figure perhaps speaks to a similar scrambling of cultural memory and certainty in post-war Germany. Editor: It’s a composition that dares you to confront its angularity and find meaning within what feels like deliberate discord. It's a powerful piece, charged with emotional complexity. Curator: Indeed, its starkness makes it unforgettable. Editor: A truly impactful piece!