MOCA, Los Angeles.
Martin Kippenberger, The Problem Perspective
REJUVENATING, COLORFUL, ENERGETIC AND SKETCH-TASTIC!!
Energetic, colorful and massive body of work by an artist whose career spanned an impressive but quick 20 years. The work ranges from simple line drawings, large-scale paintings both representational and abstract, to large installations while containing a seriously wide range of subject matter using humor, satire, historical reference, personal experience, lots of self reference, and all-around acute technical craftsmanship.
The variety of medium, subject matter, and the overall expansive number of amazing works is quite refreshing.
The greatest part of the exhibition (besides ALL OF THE COLOR....for a color junkie it was seriously satisfying) were the arrangement of hundreds of sketches running through each exhibition room Kippenberger would create at different hotels he would stay at. Each of the pieces of paper the drawings were composed on still contained each Hotel's Monogram! The range of subject matter and the technical skill of the "sketches" is incredible, as you could actually see the wheels spinning in this man's head right there on paper. I have to admit it kicked me in the butt a bit to begin sketching again, and reminded me of the possibility, exercise, and beauty simple (or in this case not so simple) sketching holds! So my mixed media class is going to be in for some serious sketching exercising this upcoming semester!!! wooohoooo!!
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Kat,
ReplyDeleteI saw his work at MOCA (and at the Geffen). I had a similar reaction. I did not know he could paint (I mean paint that well). The single install at the Geffen was, to me, spectacular and fun and easy to write off- I liked the combination of reactions I had. It got the rare exclamationgrumble from me: "Asshole."
j.
HAHAHHAHA me too!
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