The Fabric of Gods and Goddesses
Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris, France
23 May - 22 July, 2022
FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:
This exhibition brings together compositions from the eighties in which the human figure appears as a decorative motif. This exhibition demonstrates the artist's powerful syncretism to a singular oeuvre which acknowledged its overtly decorative function. When minimalism and conceptual art dominated the American art scene, Robert Kushner took a completely different direction: he chose to situate himself in a daring interval, mixing fine arts and decorative arts, which were then considered a minor art form. This return to motif and ornamentation allowed him to raise questions about the very concept of beauty in contemporary art, at a time when the United States bathed in a puritanical atmosphere where making beautiful things was suspect.
Using a vivid color palette, the artist nourished his works with a blend of Eastern and Western cultures, combined with transdisciplinary artistic practices - let us recall that Robert Kushner's beginnings were marked by performance and theater costume design. These different facets allowed him to compose work rich in hybridities, resolutely contemporary: with its sophisticated aesthetics and the philosophical messages it conveys, his work resonates in the present world.
photography © Aurélin Mole for Galerie Obadia