“Ɖs srveexbišn v ɖ Americn fiğṛtv pêntr, hiz frst in Lundn sns 2000, hîlîts ci aspcts v ɖ ātist’s ŕvra fṛm ɖ 1950z untl hiz deʈ in 2004.

Ʈrt hiz c̣rir Goḷb wz gîdd bî hiz blif ɖt āt šd hv reḷvns. Hiz wrcs r pṛfândli sîc̣lojcl n imotv – ofn pêntd on a hyj scêl – n rtrn agn n agn t ʈīmz v oprešn, vaylns n ɖ msys v pâr. Hiz pêntñz fṛm ɖ 1950z dpict ynivrsl imijz v man n refṛns ɖ clasicl figr fând in antiqti, ẇl hiz hîli ṗlitcl siriz v ɖ 1970z n ’80z drwz on ɖ Vietnam Wor, Americn foṛn poḷsi n ɖ rîz v paṛmilitri soljrz in plêsz sč az Sâʈ Africa n Latin America. Hiz wrc fṛm ɖ 1990z incwṗrets slôgnz, txt, gṛfīti n simblz intu distopı̣n sìnz v ŕbn xistns.

Goḷb xperimentd wɖ scêl, n ɖ wrcs asmbld fr ɖs xbišn renj in sîz fṛm ɖ smlr wrcs on pêpr t monymntl, unstrčt canvsz ɖt xtnd fṛm flor t sīlñ at ɖ Srpntîn Gaḷri.

Born in Šcago in 1922, Goḷb bgan pêntñ in ɖ fiğṛtv stîl in ɖ ŕli 1950z. Lebld az a Šcago Imijist, h wz a membr v ɖ pôst-wor ātists’ grūp nôn az Monstr Rostr. Svṛl membrz v ɖ grūp, includñ Goḷb, srvd in Wrldwor II, subsqntli obtenñ fîn āts dgriz az a rzult v ɖ Americn GI Bil. Jrñ a tîm ẇn abstraẋn wz hêld az ɖ fyčr v cntmprri pêntñ, ɖ grūp crietd wrcs rūtd in ɖ xtrnl wrld, wɖ ɖ hymn figr n cntmprri ivnts infwmñ ɖer stîl n content.

Ɖ film šôn on ɖs pêj wz pṛdyst bî Lion Goḷb in 1995 az a contribyšn t ɖ d it projct. Kretd bî Hanz Ŭlrih Obrist, d it bgan in Paris in 1993 az a convsešn btwn Obrist n ɖ ātists Cristiã Boltansci n Bertrã Lavie. Obrist wz cnsrnd wɖ hâ xbišnfwmats cd b rendrd mr flexbl n ôpn-endd. Ɖ rzult z an on-gwñ xbišn ɖt cnsists v instruẋnz set ât bî ātists fr eniwn t folo.

Lion Goḷb

Lion Goḷb wz born in Šcago, Iḷný, in 1922 n dîd in Ny Ywc Siti in 2004. In 1940 h wun a scoḷršp t studi Āthistri at ɖ Ynivrsti v Šcago. Hiz mastr’z prôgram wz cut šwt in 1942 ẇn h inlistd in ɖ āmi n srvd az a cātogṛfr in Yṛp. On hiz rtrn in 1946, undr ɖ GI Bil, Goḷb bgan a Fîn Āt Dgri at ɖ Scūl v ɖ Ātinstityt v Šcago, ẇr h rsivd a BFA n MFA. Jrñ ɖs tîm h met felo stydnt n ātist Nansi Spero, hūm h marid in 1951. Bʈ ātists wr membrz v ɖ pôst-wor ātist’s grʈp ɖ Monstr Rostr. Goḷb, Spero n ɖer čildṛn muvd t Paris in 1959 n steid untl 1964 ẇn ɖe muvd t Ny Ywc Siti. Ɖs sem yir ɖe bcem actv membrz in ɖ Ātists n Raitrz Prôtestgrūp agnst ɖ Vietnam Wor. In ɖ 1980z ɖe wr membrz v ɖ muvmnt Ātists Cwl Agnst Americn Intvnšn in Latin America n rmend anti-wor activists ʈrt ɖer lîvz.”

Agent Orange, 1993

White Squad IV (El Salvador) 1983 (Picture: Collection of Ulrich and Harriet Meyer)

Mercenaries IV, 1980 at the Serpentine gallery, courtesy Ulrich and Harriet Meyer Collection. All images: c/o the Nancy Spero and Leon Golub Foundation for the Arts

Merceneries II (section I), 1975

Vietnam 1, 1972

‘Gigantomachy IV’, 1967

Tête de Cheval II, 1963

Image copyright: READS 2015

Image copyright: READS 2015

Image copyright: READS 2015

Image copyright: READS 2015

Image copyright: READS 2015

Image copyright: READS 2015

Image copyright: READS 2015

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