“Art is the truth and everything else is a lie.”
The father of Artificial Realism
George Condo is an influential American painter who, for over 50 years, has shattered ideas of ‘high’ and ‘low’ art. He’s known for his unique form of pastiche, which brings together references from pop culture and art history. Nothing is off-limits. All subjects and styles are in the mix. In the 1970s, Condo began to develop his approach while studying music and art in Massachusetts. He didn’t want to be part of any particular style or movement. Instead, he mixed together elements of Cubism, Surrealism and Pop Art with graphics and imagery from day-to-day life. In the 1980s, Condo moved to Ne...
George Condo is an influential American painter who, for over 50 years, has shattered ideas of ‘high’ and ‘low’ art. He’s known for his unique form of pastiche, which brings together references from pop culture and art history. Nothing is off-limits. All subjects and styles are in the mix. In the 1970s, Condo began to develop his approach while studying music and art in Massachusetts. He didn’t want to be part of any particular style or movement. Instead, he mixed together elements of Cubism, Surrealism and Pop Art with graphics and imagery from day-to-day life. In the 1980s, Condo moved to New York City and worked at Andy Warhol’s notorious Factory. He hated it – “but working there made me feel like I was in touch with the art gods somehow.” It was there that Condo decided he wanted to make art that was truly radical. And Artificial Realism was born.
In Condo’s own words, Artificial Realism is “the idea of representing reality, but reality being a construct of man-made appearances.” So, it makes sense that he re-appropriates pre-existing styles and ideas because that’s precisely what reality is made up of. This approach has definitely caused controversy over the years. In 2006, Condo’s painting of Queen Elizabeth II ruffled many feathers in the art world. In 2010, his explicit painting for the cover of Kanye West’s 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was banned from several major stores in the US, including Walmart. But all of this is part of Condo’s Artificial Realism. Through his art, Condo points out the inherent ridiculousness of our self-important, modern-day world – which, when you think about it, really is as wild, wonderful and bizarre as his paintings.
Bio
George Condo (he/him) was born in New Hampshire in 1957. In 1979, he moved to New York City where he continues to live and work.
Did you know?
George Condo decided to move to New York City because of a conversation with Jean-Michel Basquiat – “I remember waking up on 1 January, 1980 and saying ‘this is where I live, thank you Jean.'”
Process
Music and drawing are intimately connected for Condo, he describes “I think artists should be able to paint up-tempo without missing any strokes, the way ‘Trane can play, or Hendrix, or Glenn Gould, without missing any notes.”
