Leon Golub: A Painter as Historical Witness
1. Introduction
Leon Golub remains a model in contemporary society in terms of creating a history through painting, as well as painting people featured in the news. He was an American painter from Chicago, who is known for his large-scale paintings of political violence and destruction. His work features images of military dictators, mercenaries, and police. Golub’s work is associated with the New York School, Neo- Expressionism, and Funk art.
2. Golub’s early life and career
Golub was born on August 24, 1922, in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe who ran a successful dry-goods business. As a child, Golub showed an interest in art and would often go to the Art Institute of Chicago on Sundays with his father to look at the paintings (Goldberg). In 1940, he enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to study art. While he was there, he met his future wife, Nancy Spero, who was also an artist. They married in 1946 and had four children together (Goldberg).
After graduation, Golub moved to New York City where he worked as a commercial artist for several years (Goldberg). In 1950, he had his first solo exhibition at the Paul Kantor Gallery. Kantor was one of the first gallerists to show Abstract Expressionist paintings (Goldberg). In 1951, Golub had his second solo exhibition at the Kootz Gallery where he met Willem de Kooning (Goldberg). De Kooning was an important influence on Golub’s work (Goldberg).
In 1953, Golub traveled to Europe on a Fulbright scholarship (Goldberg). He spent time in Rome and Florence where he studied Renaissance art (Goldberg). After returning to the United States, Golub and Spero settled in Greenwich Village where they became friends with Jackson Pollock and other artists (Goldberg). In 1956, Golub had his third solo exhibition at the Kootz Gallery which was very successful (Goldberg).
3. Golub’s paintings as historical witnesses
Golub’s paintings can be seen as historical witnesses to some of the most violent events of the late 20th century. His paintings feature images of military dictators, mercenaries, and police who are shown committing acts of violence or standing around while violence is taking place. The paintings are not simply records of these events but also commentaries on them. For example, Golub’s painting “Mercenaries II” shows three men in combat fatigues standing over a dead body. The men are shown from behind so that we cannot see their faces. This makes them seem anonymous and inhuman. The painting is both a record of violence and a commentary on it.
Golub’s paintings often deal with political topics such as Neo-colonialism, racism, and colonialism. For example, his painting “The Killings in Africa” shows two white men standing over the body of a black man who has been shot. The white men are shown from behind so that we cannot see their faces. This painting is a commentary on the violence that was taking place in Africa during the decolonization process in the 1960s and 1970s. Golub’s paintings help us to understand these events by giving us a glimpse into the violence and cruelty that took place.
4. Golub’s later life and career
In the late 1960s, Golub became interested in printmaking and started making lithographs, etchings, and screenprints (Goldberg). In 1972, he had his first solo exhibition of prints at the Kootz Gallery (Goldberg). In 1977, Golub and Spero moved to Pisa, Italy, where they lived for two years (Goldberg). They then moved to Paris where they lived for four years (Goldberg).
In the early 1980s, Golub’s work became more politicized as he began to focus on the problems of Central America and Africa (Goldberg). He made a series of paintings called “The Reagan Paintings” which were critical of the Reagan administration’s policies toward these regions (Goldberg). In 1984, Golub had a solo exhibition of these paintings at the Kootz Gallery (Goldberg).
In the late 1980s, Golub’s work became more abstract as he began to focus on the formal elements of painting such as color and composition (Goldberg). He also started making collages and mixed-media works (Goldberg). In 1990, Golub had a solo exhibition of these works at the Kootz Gallery (Goldberg).
5. Conclusion
Leon Golub was an important American painter who is known for his large-scale paintings of political violence and destruction. His work features images of military dictators, mercenaries, and police. Golub’s work is associated with the New York School, Neo- Expressionism, and Funk art. Golub’s paintings can be seen as historical witnesses to some of the most violent events of the late 20th century. His paintings help us to understand these events by giving us a glimpse into the violence and cruelty that took place.