John Currin

John Currin, is one of the few figurative artists, possibly along with Lisa Yuskavage, that express social commentary through graphic eroticism. It may seem like base pornography however, it is strongly rooted in art history. Images from the Kama Sutra to Greek wall paintings of fornicating figures have far predated this modern form of eroticism. Currin takes this genre and adds a social element to it that is more satirical and jarring. This is precisely what Currin’s work has always been about, taking elements from art history, both formal and conceptual and modernizing them. As elements of the imagery remain consistent with the history he adopts, the meaning changes based on modern social constructs. In that regard, it becomes satire.

Formally, Currin’s technique is reminiscent of Fra Angelico’s sensitivity and Parmigianino’s sense of proportion, remaining generally mannerist in application. A style of painting that is closely related to religious works, which when coupled with erotic imagery creates some interesting “parables”. Compositionally, Currin tends to crop form in the lower margins of the picure plane. This creates a superficial space with a frontal perspective, allowing the viewer to engage the subject intimately. You are invited, or possibly encouraged to be apart of the events within the composition. This perspective device in and of itself is internal, and contributes to the eroticism. As far as the figures themselves, they become parodies. To work in parody there can be no honesty of emotion or deep insight into human character, it has to remain dissociative.

There is a lot of good things going for Currin’s work despite that, or in spite of that it becomes tired and repetitive with continual viewing. The general motivation from one painting to the other doesn’t really change. The figures and situations seem to be like different factors in the same equation, always creating predictable outcomes, the anachronistic satirical parody. Eventually, the paintings become appreciable for the decorative aspects of style. That could be why his work was featured in Vogue magazine.