Can collectors all just agree never to buy a Georg Baselitz painting again? In 2013 he told Der Spiegel that “women don’t paint very well,” and this year he’s defending these remarks. “The market doesn’t lie,” the 77 year old artist told the Guardian, in an article published on Tuesday. “Even though the painting classes in art academies are more than 90% made up by women, it’s a fact that very few of them succeed.” No source for that figure was ever cited. When pressed he only got more offensive.
“What does it matter so much? If women are ambitious enough to succeed, they can do so, thank you very much. But up until now, they have failed to prove that they want to. Normally, women sell themselves well, but not as painters.” What profession he was referring to was never clarified.
These opinions came out as part of a feature about the artist’s soon-to-be-completed work for the prestigious Glyndebourne opera festival in England. The works will be exhibited on the site of the festival in a pop-up exhibition organized by the contemporary art gallery White Cube. Which, of course, means it’s all for sale.
Let’s put an end to this. Baselitz’s opinions aren’t informed. According to the U.S. Department of Education, women earned the majority of degrees at all levels, accounting for between 57 and 58 percent of all bachelor’s degrees. There is no shortage of successful female painters in the contemporary art world. Time to boycott his shit: don’t buy his work, don’t go see his shows, and definitely skip the opera.
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never mind contradicting his statements with the US Dept of Ed data, why doesn’t this silly guy get the fact that popular opinion of what is “good” art has long been influenced by a male majority?
Actually, the market does lie. Commercial success is built on lies. What sells and who is well known has very little to do with what is intrinsically worthy.
I am willing to go one on one in a cage match with this guy. Challenge.
The market does not lie? So what the people are really demanding is more nuclear weapons. Is pornography art? Because if so then what the market is telling us is the most important art to produce is pornography.
I like his work. That’s all I care about. The work not the personality behind it.I could give a rat’s ass what he says verbally.
female painters BTFO
please remember that georg is a real person with feelings. i suggest you delete this post paddy.
So is every other female painter he dismisses. Georg should retract his comments.
Hahahahahahahaha!!! Seriously. This is awesome. Cute. F**k Baselitz. Give and take my friend. Give and take. He can rot with his crap 2nd, 3rd, 4th (?) gen ab ex painterly crap paintings. Like Keanu Reeves and his cowboy boots,
Even though I deeply resent what this fool is making up, shouldn’t we separate the artist as thinker from the artistic expression itself? Era Pound was a fascist – he was still a great writer. Thomas Wolf was, at times, anti-semitic, but Look Homeward Angel is a great novel. Must an artist be politically correct to be a great artist, or worthy of being considered an artist. Can we despise the artist but find beauty in the art. If every artist had to be politically enlightened, then much of the most beautiful art, literature, and music ever created would have had to be ignored. In short, throw out the baby, but keep the luscious bathwater.
The art market, like politics and business, has long been rigged; this is no surprise. However, the idea that Baselitz wants to become the Fox News commentator of the art world is a bit disappointing. In the end, he will be upside down dust in the wind. Just wait.
everybody has a shadow side .. every guru, every artist, every writer, every human .. given that, see what’s good, see the shadow if you must, and accepting that dual nature, write away
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