L.A. Raw: Abject Expressionism in Los Angeles, 1945-1980: From Rico Lebrun to Paul McCarthy
The catalogue is published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, on view through May 20 as part of the Getty's multivenue initiative "Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980." With an essay devoted to each artist, it is a valuable reference; Duncan's research is thorough, his writing lucid. He identifies the roots of a "local heritage" of dark, emotionally turbulent or oppressive work that has sustained subsequent generations of Southern California artists. In a 1963 interview in Artforum, Lebrun described his imagery as "giving shape to a bloody and bony parcel bearing the imprint of trouble." (Stephen MaineArt in America2012-05-16)