The Many Layers of Lari Pittman
Lari Pittman’s career as a painter has been as steady as his compositions are vibrant and urgent.
Based in Los Angeles, Mr. Pittman, who at 70 works every day, has been a museum presence for decades in exhibitions like the 1993 edition of the Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (one of four Biennials in which he has been featured).
In that controversial show, he fairly shouted to viewers to pay attention to the AIDS crisis, prominently placing large lettering in the crowded canvas of one of his works, the words “HEY!” and “S.O.S.,” appearing amid pointy shoes, light bulbs and nooses.
Early on, Mr. Pittman’s densely layered takes on sexuality and gender made an impression on Richard Armstrong, now the outgoing director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
“It’s rare to see the combination of relevance, visual metaphor and exquisite execution,” said Mr. Armstrong, who first saw Mr. Pittman’s work in the 1980s. “I can’t think of any other artist that weaves together those three strands like he does.”
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the New York Times website.
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