contemporary figurative painters

The Contemporary Figure

SOME COMMON ATTITUDES OF MODERNISM AND POSTMODERNISM

De Kooning

Modernism and the Figure


“Beauty” was to be destroyed.


“Beauty” was to be destroyed.Photography meant that “realistic” painting was pointless.


“Beauty” was to be destroyed.Photography meant that “realistic” painting was pointless.“Attitude” is more important than “skill”.


“Beauty” was to be destroyed.Photography meant that “realistic” painting was pointless.“Attitude” is more important than “skill”.Traditional training largely ended in the 1940’s/50’s.

Post-Modernism and the Figure


“Concept” was more important than the actual art object.


“Concept” was more important than the actual art object.Painting women was misogynistic and definitely not allowed unless you were a woman.


“Concept” was more important than the actual art object.Painting Women was misogynistic and definitely not allowed unless you were a woman.Realism was considered mere “illustration” and therefore very unsophisticated.


Most current MFA programs produce graduates with very little or no ability to draw or paint realistically. Emphasis on such skills is evidence of a lack of sophistication.

THANK GOD THAT’S OVER

THERE ARE NO MORE ART MOVEMENTS

….ONLY TASTES, TRENDS, FASHIONS

THE 3 MAJOR CATEGORIES OF PRODUCTION:

ARTFORUM, Art in America, FRIEZE


• Wealthy urban elites from coastal cities and Europe.



• This is where the BIG MONEY IS.



• This is where the BIG MONEY IS.

• All artists have MFA’s.

JUXTAPOZ, Hi-Fructose


• People with tattoos.


• People with tattoos.• Favored by illustrators.


• People with tattoos.• Favored by illustrators.• “Pop-Surrealism” and

“Lowbrow”


• People with tattoos.• Favored by illustrators.• “Pop-Surrealism” and

“Lowbrow”• No “education” needed.

American Art COLLECTOR, Southwest Art


• Everyone else


• Everyone else• No pretense, but also

not very “cool”.



not very “cool”.• Traditional skills and

subjects are emphasized.



not very “cool”.• Traditional skills and

subjects are emphasized.

• Some of the work can be corny, un-original…”kitsch”.

DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!!!!!

Alex Grey

Aaron Nagel

Adrian Gottlieb

Aron Wiesenfeld

Andrew Hem

Audrey Kawasaki

Bo Bartlett

Brad Kunkle

Damian Loeb

Elizabeth Peyton

Eric Fischl

George Condo

Gerald Davis

Glenn Brown

Guennadi Ulibin

Hernan Bas

Inka Essenhigh

Jacob Collins

Jacques de Beaufort

James Jean

Jenny Seville

Jeremy Lipking

John Currin

Karen Kilimnik

Kay Donachie

Kurt Kauper

Kent Williams

Lisa Yuskavage

Lu Cong

Lucien Frued

Lui Liu

Mark Tansey

Martine Eder

Michael Klein

Neo Rauch

Nicola Verlato

Svetlana Valueva

Ulrich Lamsfuß

Will Cotton

Yigal Ozeri

contemporary figurative painters

Education