At first glance, The Candy Store (1969) by Richard Estes looks like a photograph. But spend a moment with it, and the illusion begins to unfold into something far more complex.
Painted at the height of the emerging Photorealism movement, The Candy Store captures a New York City storefront window filled with jars of sweets, signage, and fluorescent lighting. Yet what makes the painting so compelling isn’t just the meticulous detail — it’s the layered reflections that transform a simple shop window into a study of perception. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: The Candy Store By Richard Estes→
Man on Fire (1969–70), an early— and unmistakably iconic —sculpture by the late American artist Luis Jiménez, is a work of art that embodies raw power, cultural memory, and the turbulent politics of its time . Standing nearly seven-and-a-half feet tall and cast in brilliantly painted fiberglass, this blazing figure demands your attention. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Luis Jiménez, Man on Fire→
Hervé Télémaque (1937 – 2022), moved from Haiti to the US in 1957 to work as an artist. He described his time there as a struggle against the dominance of both abstract expressionist painting and racism in wider society. After moving to Paris in 1961 Télémaque curated the Mythologies Quotidiennes exhibition. He also cofounded the narrative figuration movement, which incorporated elements of pop art and surrealism. La Girouette (The Weathervane, 1969) is typical of this approach – Télémaque ‘narrates’ the painting with objects and imagery from his personal life. Everyday items like a clothes hanger and beach chair are combined in surprising and ambiguous ways.
The band previously known by nearly half a dozen other names including The Five Sounds, The New Dimensions, The Soul Town Band, The Jazziacs, and Kool & The Flames, became Kool & The Gang in 1969. That year, they released their first single called “Kool & The Gang” and their self-titled album as well. Continue reading Kool and The Gang Stained Glass Window→
Lynda Benglis‘ work of poured latex takes painting to an extreme. Despite employing a medium, that is not itself paint, Benglis nonetheless draws attention to paint’s essential, primary properties: color and liquidity. To make Contraband (1969), the artist created, mixtures of powdered pigment and latex in 5-gallon cans that she then poured and let run on the floor with minimal intervention. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Lynda Benglis, Contraband→
