Actor-network theory and the poetics of Georg Baselitz’s inverted paintings

Abstract

This article investigates the poetic process of German artist Georg Baselitz in the creation of his inverted paintings. We collected qualitative data from catalogs, interviews, and records of his works. Drawing upon Latour's Actor-Network Theory, we analyzed how his artistic networks are formed and whether the inverted paintings can be explained by Edwards' book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain." The comparative analysis of Baselitz's pictorial process before and after the inversion of images revealed a greater realism, also observed in Edwards' upside-down drawing exercises. The text emphasizes the significance of Baselitz's poetics and the application of Actor-Network Theory in understanding his trajectory as an artist, while reinforcing the methodological validity of Edwards' upside-down drawing exercises.