I had the pleasure to sit in on a lecture by Gottfried Helnwein at San Jose State for the opening of a small exhibit. One of the works included his Los Caprichos .
Helnwein is quite a character, with his thick German accent, head scarf, and movie star sunglasses worn at all times- even in a dark lecutre hall. His works are photo realistic , and often in large scale. I suppose what impressed me the most was the difference this man has made in the world. His paintings depict the horror and violence of war with a surreal beauty. Their power to communicate such a bold statement has encourage open discussion and exploration of war crimes. Lebensunwertes Leben - illustrated one of hundreds of children poisoned to death during WW2, the work was so graphic that it caused a public outcry and encouraged an investigation into the man responsible.
Important works of contemporary Art does not need to be overly abstract or pretentious to make a political statement, and in a time when realism was considered "kitsch" this man has stood out to become a great artist of our time.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
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