John Wesley
Black Bow, 1966
Gouache on paper. 14 x 20 in
JOHN WESLEY -
I will start this blog with something relatively easy. What do people think of John Wesley's artwork?
The Wesley installation at the Chinati Foundation is controversial. (Perhaps an overstatement) If one asks visitors was there something you didn't like at Chinati, Wesley's name pops up more than most. He has had a relatively low profile as an artist. This of course doesn't mean that he is good or bad.
But now we have a "blockbuster retrospective, organized by the renowned Italian curator Germano Celant under the auspices of the Prada Foundation," running in conjunction with the Venice Biennale.
Does this mean anything?
I would doubt that anything can resurrect Wesley's status in a way that makes him an important artist in "art historical" terms. He is certainly no Judd or Warhol. Not many people are. But will people know Wesley in 25 or 50 years. If it weren't for Judd's installation at Chinati, I think that he would be forgotten except by the true afficianados.
VI
(Excuse my typos - I'm looking for a spellcheck, but...)
So, what do I think of Wesley's work? I can only comment on what I've seen at Chinati, as this is my only exposure to it, and I am delighted by it in a storybook-illustrations-for-adults kinda way. Was I intrigued enough to google him or look for a catalogue at Marfa Book Co? No.
ReplyDeleteFrom a broad historical view, I think his work is important in its presaging of the Japanese super flat artists.
Their is a great catalogue (500+ pages) that relates to the exhibit referred in the NYTimes article. It is written by Germano Celant. This book presents some fantastic work. The Marfa Book Co. has copies.
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