We stopped by the New Museum’s latest show, “George Condo: Mental States,” yesterday. The exhibit, which opens today, is the first major American survey of Condo’s work, comprised of over 80 paintings and sculptures created throughout the last thirty years. It takes up the third and fourth floor of the museum and is definitely worth going to see.
Clearly, Condo has officially crossed over in to the “main stream.” There were a lot of questions about Kanye West (Condo was commissioned to make five paintings for the cover of Kanye West’s album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy) and everyone wanted to know if P. Diddy and Beyonce would be coming to the opening night party. The work itself is somehow alluring, grotesque and beautiful, all at the same time.
The artist, who arrived in the East Village in the early ’80’s and began working prolifically on what he called his “fake old masters,” will be in conversation with author David Means tomorrow night at the New Museum’s Theater. Marina Cashdan has posted a great “conversation” in the Huffington Post here. The show will run at the New Museum through May 8th.
