Jumping Figure 1982

Georg Baselitz made this print, Jumping Figure, sometime in his career using what looks like a woodcut technique. The tension between the black figure and the gold background is like a dance, or maybe a brawl! Look at how Baselitz handles the material, the way he digs into the woodblock to create this image. There is a real physicality to it, a kind of rough-and-tumble energy. The gold isn't just flat; it's got a texture, a kind of grainy shimmer. It reminds me of gold leaf, but dirtier, more alive. Then there's that squiggly white line in the background, like a bolt of lightning, or maybe just a scratch, a slip of the hand. But it adds this jolt of energy, this sense of something unexpected happening. Baselitz’s crude expressionism makes me think of Munch and the way that artists keep talking to each other across time. Ultimately, it's like Baselitz is saying, "Hey, let's not get too comfortable here. Let's keep things messy, keep things real."