Art Talk

"Woman with a Ball", 1965, Mixed media on canvas, 58.25 x 49.75 in. Neumann Family Collection, Photo: Robert McKeever © 2003 Richard Artschwager /Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Saturday, 31 Jan., Richard Artschwager presented his “art talk” to one of MoCA’s typical audiences made up of varying ages and, artists, collectors and students. The talk started off in a jumble of words summing up to eventually gave those in attendance something to grasp. That something was the various elements that make up his work: forms, shapes, formal issues, use of celotex. It wasn’t that revealing but, it guided us through his disjointed talk laced with images. Having a few notes of humor here and there definitely helped keep people in their seats until the questions rolled in.

One question concerned his 2002 painting of G.W. Bush, current U.S. President. His answer stated his work had no specific socio-political commentary. That was an interesting response after reading the following by curator, Bonnie Clearwater, “In examining Artschwager’s entire body of paintings, however, it becomes clear that there is a strong emotional element to his subjects.” He was purposefully evasive in other questions as well. However, if one is to gain some clues as to this ambiguity one would find a rather limited sphere of cultural influence as reflected in the paintings. That comes from the predominance of Euro-American faces and interior spaces associated with affluence. Isn’t everything political?

I found the work had some qualities I like, the celotex surface itself, and the scale of the works, but, in general, the “strong emotional element[s]” of his work must, I assume, come from the formal issues and the material itself, not the subject matter. It was all pretty bland, including the portrait of G.W. Bush.