What I could never escape was Germany, and being German. Georg Baselitz More Quotes by Georg Baselitz More Quotes From Georg Baselitz I did not always trust my teachers, because I found them too weak. I was looking for something that could take me in a new direction, for things that I could admire. And because it was so hard to find this, I became a sort of outsider. That's why I began to identify with the insane, "outsider" artists. Georg Baselitz insane artist teacher Spending money on art has always been frowned upon in this country - even earlier, when my and others' paintings cost almost nothing. Something is always more important. The people in charge are always peddling reasons that others seem to accept. Those who don't drink and aren't crazy, or who don't attract attention with how they behave in public, aren't noticed in art. Georg Baselitz crazy country art I don't know who made up this sort of greatest-hits list for artists. If one artist isn't moving forward anymore, then it's assumed another one is going to take their place. With Francis Bacon's death, a whole genre of art died. Georg Baselitz moving-forward art moving The reality is the picture, it is most certainly not in the picture. Georg Baselitz reality You dig in and you find something. Georg Baselitz I paint German artists whom I admire. I paint their pictures, their work as painters, and their portraits too. But oddly enough, each of these portraits ends up as a picture of a woman with blonde hair. I myself have never been able to work out why this happens. Georg Baselitz work-out hair art I always work out of uncertainty but when a painting's finished it becomes a fixed idea, apparently a final statement. In time though, uncertainty returns.. your thought process goes on. Georg Baselitz work-out artist ideas I do not have a philosophy about retrospectives. Of course, I cannot change what I have done. What I am doing today, this I can change, in view of whatever I have done before. My retrospectives are like a series of ghosts. Georg Baselitz done today philosophy I always feel attacked when I'm asked about my painting. Georg Baselitz painting feels The idea of changing or improving the world is alien to me and seems ludicrous. Society functions, and always has, without the artist. No artist has ever changed anything for better or worse. Georg Baselitz artist change ideas I don't like things that can be reproduced. Wood isn't important in itself but rather in the fact that objects made in it are unique, simple, unpretentious. Georg Baselitz important unique simple We have seen so many exhibits in recent years where the exhibition design was aesthetically beautiful. In this case, if someone wants to get something out of the exhibit, they must neglect the aesthetics and look at my pictures. Georg Baselitz neglect design beautiful My Paintings are Battles. Georg Baselitz difficulty painting battle Asked what role he believes art plays in society, Baselitz replied, 'The same role as a good shoe, nothing more. Georg Baselitz play believe art Unlike the expressionists, I have never been interested in renewing the world through the vehicle of art. Georg Baselitz vehicle world art In a place like the Guggenheim, I would like to be a representative of arte povera. This would be my ideal. Georg Baselitz In Germany, we often hear the absurd complaint that museums don't have the money to buy paintings. Of course, I'm not talking about me and my paintings. There are, after all, more popular painters in this country. Georg Baselitz talking museums country I love my old paintings as postulates as fresh starting points but I have to destroy them. I have to make a new manifesto. Georg Baselitz fresh-start painting starting Museums collect what's important in their respective countries. In Berlin's National Gallery, however, this isn't the case. They're interested neither in me nor the other usual suspects. It's simply a German reality. Georg Baselitz museums country reality When I began as an artist, I already did not like expressionism, or abstract expressionism, because abstract painting had already been done. I did not want to belong to any one group or the other, and I'm not one or the other. Georg Baselitz painting done artist