John Currin is an American painter; his work explores American culture and the dynamics of class. He is one of the best figure painters around today. His work is an amalgamation of influences ranging from the masters of the Renaissance to the artists behind the seedy comics of Playboy as well as high-end Dutch pornography. John Currin is not only a brilliant painter he’s a masterful troll. So, in this piece we further break down the art of trolling. We discussed Goya previously, and again we look at how Currin (master of painting and trolling) goes about implementing the art of the troll.
Currin became successful almost immediately while still at art school. Some artists blow up quickly, and Currin was one of them. His work came about when there was a resurgence of figurative work back in the mainstream. The art world is affected by the current fashion, and some of the greatest artists happened to strike at the most serendipitous time. The 90’s were a time when the figure was the apex of expression. Currin took this wave and rode it all the way to fame and fortune. It wasn’t without merit. The paintings speak for themselves. These are works to be cherished and deserve their spot in the art history books along with Da Vinci, Matisse and Andy Warhol. His range of technique is impressive; the diverse array of technique he utilizes makes for a dynamic surface. He works in the manner that Rembrandt would; he’d paint areas impasto while leaving others to lean out to a mat surface. The color palette he implements, demonstrates a keen understanding of period, place and mood.
Currin had a show that shocked and appalled the art world. He took lewd images sourced from actual pornography and transformed them into paintings. The paintings were done with all the ability and mastery attributed to him. Everything from the drawing underneath to the layers of paint atop made for captivating images. They did break a serious crime though for the art institution; they were gauche. That might be an understatement. They were wildly provocative. Some of the paintings illustrated the act of sex that was not soft-core at all. We see everything in some of these paintings. We see penetration; that’s the end all be-all right there. Currin went all in, as did the paintings (balls deep in fact).
Where lies the motive of Currin to create work that spits in the face of the art industry? The motive is not singular. It appears Currin is a freethinker, and cannot just go along with groupthink. He has been quoted that his work, in part, is a response to “Islamic Fascism.” Now, that is some kind of response. That would not fly nowadays. It appears with our current climate that the duopoly of thought has driven the institution mad. I maintain that the institution (Hollywood, News and the arts) is fundamentally left; they are the progenitors of Political Correctness. This is not to say we haven’t seen persons on the right do the same thing (see Rudy Guiliani and the Dung-Adorned Madonna ).
So we go back into the art of trolling; this level of trolling breaks the modern day model of shitposting. For those who aren’t aware: the term shitpost refers to the act of putting out a message via social media that only cares to agitate without a concrete ethos backing it. John Currin uses the guise of painting in order to make a statement. He isn’t making painting solely as decoration or high-end retail product; he’s making work that is there to speak on his behalf. The art world cannot ignore the significance of Currin, but they can’t seem to grapple with the works’ implications. He makes images of robust women. The images depict women as a sexual object while fetishizing their purpose. They’re garish and loud, but done with the utmost of ability. They also don’t fall in line with the politically correct notions of what is acceptable. The arts made an alliance with leftist thought during the 50’s. This was due to the Frankfurt School, and the agents that came over to implement their will onto the American landscape. The arts have become the ultimate place where differences of taste and opinion go to die. Look at Dana Schutz’s reception for the Whitney Biennial; you’ll see that identity is the currency behind what is deemed correct, regardless of merit. The art market at large now is influenced almost exclusively on identity as the driving force behind the product. It appears like we are at a point where it isn’t about diversity of thought; it is really about skin surface identity. John Currin makes no apologies for his identity, and continues to make work that fits his conception.
I doubt a man like Currin would be able to explode onto the scene today. He came onto the scene at a time where the world was more open to actual diversity. The 90’s were a time when the comedy was brave, the zines were wild and the P.C. brigade didn’t infiltrate the universities with absolute dominance. The art of the troll is to subvert the institution in order to open up the discussion, not end it. Currin’s paintings do just that; they open up the discussion to a large array of dialogue. We can’t help to tackle questions like: what makes pornography; what is the difference between art and pornography; what is the history of painting and it’s role in society; how does narrative influence our lives; what is paintings place in the modern culture? These are only a few of the broad sweeping questions one can arise at when confronted with a painting by Currin.
The confrontation is the cornerstone of trolling. Currin understands this, and jumps in head first. He doesn’t let up either. The work is backed by an ethos that is fundamentally anti politically correct. That’s another fundamental principle of trolling; trolls act to break down the stranglehold of decency. Trolls come in all shapes and sizes however. Many modern-day trolls are making digital collages (memes) that do not have an ethos behind it. They generate these memes, i.e. the ones featuring an appropriated Pepe, to create chaos. That is a bastardization of trolling. Currin, like his painting, has elevated the art of the troll to one of mastery. His work takes on a whole institution, and makes no apologies for it. The paintings speak for themselves, and force you to confront your sense of what is true. I can’t think of a more important role for a freethinking society; we need the best of trolls. The art of the troll isn’t for novices. The most skilled of trolls can open up the conversation, inspire us and shift the stranglehold of mainstream thought. If you are feeling bored and uninspired then please take a look at the work of John Currin; be ready to confront yourself. That’s what a troll ultimately does; they force us to look within and out congruently. That’s a gift only a troll could give, and it’s worth more than any fancy painting on a wall.