ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Jörg Immendorff's Artistic Evolution and the Secret of His Mad Formulas

exhibition · 2026-04-23

Jörg Immendorff, often hastily categorized under New German Expressionism, began his career in the 1960s-70s with action art before returning to traditional painting. From 1974, he developed a consistent compositional type: a closed yet deeply recessed space with a high perspective and the mise en abyme of the image through a painting within the painting. In conjunction with an exhibition at the Centre Georges-Pompidou, Catherine Millet interviewed him about the artist-viewer relationship, the concept of the ready-made of history, and the lineage of Kurt Schwitters.

Key facts

  • Jörg Immendorff is often labeled as New German Expressionism.
  • He started in the 1960s-70s with action art.
  • He later returned to traditional painting.
  • From 1974, he established a consistent compositional type.
  • His compositions feature a closed but deep space with a high perspective.
  • He used mise en abyme, depicting a painting within the painting.
  • An exhibition at Centre Georges-Pompidou prompted the interview.
  • Catherine Millet interviewed him on artist-viewer relationship, ready-made of history, and Schwitters' lineage.

Entities

Artists

  • Jörg Immendorff
  • Catherine Millet
  • Kurt Schwitters

Institutions

  • Centre Georges-Pompidou

Locations

  • Paris
  • France

Sources