Joe Coleman art show in NYC
The infernal Joe Coleman has a show of his mind-blowing paintings opening next week, May 2, at the Dickinson gallery in New York City. Titled "Devotio Moderno," the exhibition also features works by the 15th century Northern Primitives, artists whose work directly inspires Coleman. Seen here, Coleman's "The Book of Revelations," 1999, Acrylic, fabric, paper, blood on panel, 62.2 x 77.5 cm. The show runs until June 15 and the art is viewable online too. From the press release:
(Coleman's) fascination with themes derived from religion and primitive painting, and his meticulous and detailed style of unabashed realism, have led to numerous comparisons between his art and the paintings of the northern renaissance. All his works are united by a very personal autobiographical theme, and in many ways relate to the early primitive devotional paintings. This exhibition allows admirers of Joe's work to see the imagery that influences him, and provides a unique opportunity to see masterpieces of the northern renaissance side by side with masterpieces by today's greatest "primitive" painter. Similarly, seeing works by Memling and his contemporaries in this setting, gives us an opportunity to truly appreciate their shameless realism, and the modernity of expression they gave to religious work of the 15th century still provides a resonant critique of the human condition today.Link (Thanks, Richard Metzger!)
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"The Book of Revelations"? I always knew yoda would bring about the end times!
Very very good work. And no yoda. I am sure it's supposed to represent the "beast" in said book. Even if you aren't religious, revelations is interesting.
I would hardly call Joe Coleman a "primitive painter". He presents himself as a visionary folk artist, but he is a product of hipster art culture, having carefully appropriated and synthesized his style. He has adopted a look very common among primitive artists who are genuinely disturbed or at least naive in their approach, but his keen awareness of what he is doing disqualifies him in my opinion. He's an accomplished contemporary painter no doubt, but it irks me that his work is hanging in museums such as Baltimore's Museum of Visionary Arts alongside true folk art.
I've been a fan ever since I saw him describe blowing himself up at New York hipster parties back in the '70s. Personally I find his madness both frightening and compelling. I think he's too sincere (or maybe outright crazy) to be contrived, but because he has such a full understanding of his work and medium, I don't think you can call his work 'outsider art.'
Sometimes when I read his interviews I think he's one bad day away from becoming a completely mad serial killer.
Check out this video if you want to see some of his old performance stuff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl1hxUxad28
Hey guys, I know this is off topic but,my friend has just died (OD)I feel lost n' a bit fucked up
Sorry.Ignore. HiHo. so it goes.
In one of his books Jim "Slackjaw" Knipfel said one of the things he missed when he went blind was Joe Coleman paintings. I've been a Coleman fan since I saw his self-immolation routine at the disinfo.con in 2000 and caught the bosomly lighter he tossed offstage. I'll be sure to catch this when I'm in NYC in a couple weeks.
@ 4 hassan-i-sabah
(peace be upon the mention of his name)
i'm sorry to hear about your loss. such is the life of an assassin.
download the last track (the forward kwenda) on this post, stick it into whatever you use to listen to music on headphones.
lie down, close your eyes, go to alamut (in your mind), listen...
and you'll feel better.
Thank you James.