He would, however, find allies in the messy neo-expressionists and the figurative painters who leave canvas threads hanging. He would praise the works of artists like Jenny Saville, whose massive, fleshy nudes distort anatomy to reveal psychological weight. In Saville’s brushstrokes, Towne would find his beloved “fallibility” cranked to eleven.
Towne, who built his career in the shadow of the postmodern giants, offers a refreshingly uncomfortable perspective. For him, “humanity” in the fine arts isn’t about tenderness, beauty, or even empathy. It’s about friction . gary towne perspectives on humanity in the fine arts
Gary Towne’s perspective is not easy to love. It denies us the simple pleasure of saying, “That’s a beautiful picture of a person.” Instead, it forces us to ask, “Does this picture tell me the truth about being alive?” He would, however, find allies in the messy