WHAT?  Georg Baselitz - A Confession of My Sins 

WHERE?  The White Cube, Bermondsey, 144-152 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3TQ 

WHEN?  Now until 16th June.  Free to visit 

WHY GO?  For a dizzying experience.  Confusion reigns, almost all the portraits are upside down!  Go with the flow. Baselitz is the artist famously known as, ‘the one who turns his paintings upside down’.  Why begs the question?  Because viewers have to dig deep and truly discover their inner depth. 

Whatever philosophically, this momentous exhibition packs a punch and amazingly most of the work was executed hastily over just a one-year period. 

Proving that age is no barrier when it comes to artistic creativity, Baselitz, a mere 86, is still working as fervently as ever despite being aided by a walking frame.  Indeed many of the artworks reveal track marks as he walks while working from canvasses spread along the floor.  It all becomes part of his creative process. 

Fifty pieces, some supersized canvases and others, intimate drawings in red ink are hung sparsely throughout the vast white gallery space and the overall effect is powerful. 

The mood is reflective as he surveys his life’s work afresh and pays tribute to the artists that have inspired him like Edvard Munch, Picasso and Willem de Kooning.

Baselitz grew up in post-war Germany into a society scarred by disruption which undoubtedly influenced his recurrent ‘upside-down’ theme. 

Many images are deeply personal, often of him and his wife Elke, yet never far from controversy.  His spiky nudes leave little to the imagination!

IN THE KNOW  For further insight into the complex work of Baselitz, art historian Martin Gayford has written a definitive essay for the exhibition catalogue, which along with being visually stunning, reviews his meditative creative process.

Georg Baselitz, A Confession of My Sins 2024 costs £60, from every art lover's favourite White Cube bookshop.