Clarity in political art is difficult to pull off, if the artwork aims to be more than a poster or bumper sticker. Abdulnasser Gharem attains a forthrightness and immediacy with his works on display at Marc Straus gallery, all the more striking as it contrasts with what we’ve come to expect from contemporary art which has been given the gloss of politics. Gharem’s work does not rely on homilies in an artist statement, and it eschews the feints which suppose hermeneutic difficulty as a signifier for artistic labor. Seeing this show, I was put in mind of Doris Salcedo’s work, which has a similar directness of address, both poetic and political.
Abdulnasser Gharem: Hospitable Thoughts
Abdulnasser Gharem: Hospitable Thoughts
Abdulnasser Gharem: Hospitable Thoughts
Clarity in political art is difficult to pull off, if the artwork aims to be more than a poster or bumper sticker. Abdulnasser Gharem attains a forthrightness and immediacy with his works on display at Marc Straus gallery, all the more striking as it contrasts with what we’ve come to expect from contemporary art which has been given the gloss of politics. Gharem’s work does not rely on homilies in an artist statement, and it eschews the feints which suppose hermeneutic difficulty as a signifier for artistic labor. Seeing this show, I was put in mind of Doris Salcedo’s work, which has a similar directness of address, both poetic and political.