Le Sourire de Condo @ Catherine Houard – Paris

George Condo has always been an art “populist”, very influenced by the European and specially the Spanish masters, but very American above all. Ambitious and voracious in its subjects and forms, grotesque, perturbing and sometimes even repulsive, but he always (contrary to many of the American artist of his generation) had an intimate link with art history, there was no “spontaneous” relationship between him and the canvas, no testing, no fiddling.

And probably because of all his Americanization of European art he’s one of our favorites. About a year ago we were admiring his Mental States @ Hayward Gallery, and now we get the chance to see his most “comic” pieces in this “Condo’s smiles” exhibition @ Parisian Galerie Catherine Houard.

2 months to go and see this little selection of works produced over the last decade and that haven’t been exhibited before (most coming from private collections), 2 months of European art history seen through the eyes of the American pop culture, you don’t get that every day. More info this way.