Artists/Barkley Hendricks

Peter Saul's art is a vivid exploration and critique of American culture and politics, employing satire to challenge societal norms and historical narratives. His work, spanning over several decades, incorporates imagery from pop culture, blending it with grotesque and exaggerated forms to comment on the American way of life, political figures, and historical events. Notably, Saul has portrayed US presidents such as Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump with disdain and condemnation, using distorted forms and bright colors to critique their policies and impact on society. His paintings reimagine significant moments in American history, like Columbus's arrival in America and Washington crossing the Delaware, as farcical or disgraceful events rather than triumphs, using humor to question the conventional glorification of these narratives​ (New Museum)​​ (Venus Over Manhattan)​.

Saul's art stands at the intersection of various artistic movements, distinguishing itself from the cool detachment characteristic of Pop Art by embracing a unique blend of Surrealism, history painting, and vernacular illustration. This approach allows him to address real-life shock, horror, and absurdity in current events and historical portrayals, making his work a crucial link between younger figurative painters and older groups like the Hairy Who and the Bay Area Funk artists. His influences range from MAD magazine comics to the political caricatures of Francisco Goya, enabling him to craft a deeply personal and critical commentary on American society and its leaders​ (New Museum)​​ (Artspace)​.

Saul's critique extends beyond just political figures to encompass broader aspects of American life, including the military industrial complex, consumer culture, and the sociopolitical fabric of urban life. His works from the Vietnam War era, for example, capture the conflict's brutality and racism in a manner that's both shocking and introspective, challenging viewers to reconsider their perspectives on these events. By doing so, Saul not only critiques but also invites reflection on the complexities of American identity and its global implications​ (Venus Over Manhattan)​.

Peter Saul's art serves as a poignant and sometimes humorous critique of American culture and politics, using satire to challenge and provoke thought on various aspects of society and history. His distinctive style and bold commentary have made his work an essential part of the dialogue on American art and its capacity to reflect and critique the nation's values and actions.

Peter Saul, an American painter born in 1934, has developed a distinctive style that boldly intersects with comic imagery and surrealism. His artwork, often difficult to categorize, stands out for its unique blend of influences that include Pop Art, Surrealism, and Expressionism. From his early works in the late 1950s to his more recent endeavors, Saul has consistently utilized elements from comics and surrealistic themes to critique American culture, politics, and societal norms.

Saul's affinity for comics is evident in his frequent depiction of popular comic-strip heroes such as Mickey Mouse, Superman, and Donald Duck. These characters, familiar and beloved by the public, are often placed in contexts that juxtapose their heroic images with serious, often dark political and social issues. For instance, works like "Mickey Mouse vs. The Japs" (1962) and "Superman and Superdog in Jail" (1963) serve as critiques of cultural conflicts and the absurdity of certain aspects of American justice and heroism, respectively. In these pieces, Saul deconstructs the notion of the flawless hero, presenting these iconic figures in banal or compromising situations that reveal their vulnerabilities and darker moments​ (SCHIRN KUNSTHALLE FRANKFURT)​.

During the mid-1960s, Saul's work began to more explicitly include political messages, reflecting his growing engagement with the political and social upheavals of his time. His Vietnam War paintings, such as "Saigon" (1967), are particularly notable for their garish, comic book-style depiction of the chaos and horror of war, blending dark humor with sharp criticism of the American military's actions in Vietnam. This period also saw Saul exploring themes related to the counterculture movement, consumerism, and social justice, often employing a style that resonated with the West Coast's Funk Art movement's disdain for consumerism and social rigidity​ (SCHIRN KUNSTHALLE FRANKFURT)​.

Peter Saul's work has not only critiqued political and social issues but has also tackled subjects like racial conflict, sexual exploitation, and the disparities between wealth and poverty. Paintings such as "The Government of California" (1969), which depicts a confrontation between Ronald Reagan and Martin Luther King Jr., and "San Quentin #1 (Angela Davis at San Quentin)" (1971), which features the activist Angela Davis, underscore Saul's commitment to addressing America's most contentious issues through a lens that is at once surreal, comic, and critically sharp​ (SCHIRN KUNSTHALLE FRANKFURT)​.

Despite the recognizable elements of comics and surrealism in his art, Saul has managed to forge a path that defies easy classification. His work, characterized by a "glamorous treatment of 'low' subjects" and a consistent violation of "good taste," has made him a unique figure in the art world, one who challenges the viewer to reconsider the boundaries between high art and popular culture​ (Wikipedia)​. Through his vibrant, often jarring juxtapositions of the absurd with the serious, Saul invites a deeper reflection on the complexities of American culture, politics, and society, proving him to be a pivotal figure in contemporary art.

Peter Saul's oeuvre vividly demonstrates his enduring engagement with social and global concerns, characterized by a satirical lens aimed at both historical events and contemporary societal issues. His career, spanning over seven decades, reflects a consistent dedication to challenging societal norms, employing a lurid color palette and comic satire. Saul's recent works, although less overtly politicized than his earlier productions, continue to delve into themes central to his artistic exploration. Works such as "Bad Day at the Gallery" and "Cheeseburgers in the Art World" humorously critique art's commercial value and the creative process, respectively. Moreover, his attention to global issues is notably evident in his works titled "Global Warming" (2022 & 2023), satirizing society's dismissive stance toward climate crises​ (Juxtapoz Magazine - Home)​.

Saul's artistic journey has been one of autonomy and freedom, allowing him to paint whatever captivates his imagination. This approach has led to a body of work that is whimsical, colorful, and at times political or surreal. His recent exhibition showcased paintings that address various topics, from the mundane to the absurd, always eye-catching and thought-provoking. For instance, "Teaching a Horse to Smoke a Cigarette" (2021) humorously explores the idea of teaching a horse to smoke, a reflection of Saul's interest in the surreal and the bizarre. Another piece, "Who's Brushing Your Teeth?" (2022), depicts figures engaging in the odd task of brushing each other's teeth, showcasing Saul's ability to find inspiration in personal experiences and translate them into broader social commentaries​ (Artnet News)​.

Saul's work has often positioned him on the edges of the art world, his unique voice preserved through his commitment to provoking strong feelings and thoughts through his art. His exhibitions, like the major survey at the Orange County Museum of Art, have featured large-scale "historical epics," satires of art history, and reflections on wars such as World War II and the Iraq War. These exhibitions underscore Saul's capacity to blend artificially hot colors, twisted comic-book forms, and an unquenchable ambition to engage with and critique American society, politics, and historical events​ (OCMA / Orange County Museum of Art)​.

Throughout his career, Saul has navigated the art world on his own terms, experiencing periods of isolation and resurgence. His work, influenced by pop culture and characterized by bright colors and figurative, sometimes grotesque images, satirically comments on the fabric of American life. Despite the ebbs and flows of recognition, Saul's recent focus on climate change, as seen in works like "Global Warming" and "Tree Is Angry" (2021), indicates his ongoing commitment to addressing pressing global issues through his art. This persistent engagement with both the style and substance of societal and global concerns cements Saul's legacy as a significant figure in contemporary art​ (Artnet News)​.

Peter Saul's art is a dynamic critique of and reflection on artistic norms, showcasing his lifelong rebellion against the traditional and expected in the art world. Saul’s career, defined by a spirit of opposition to prevailing trends—be it abstraction, conceptualism, or political art—underscores his quest to maintain a unique and confrontational stance within his creations. His work "Peter Saul versus Modern Art, Round One" (2022) humorously depicts his struggle with the constraints of modern art, symbolizing his broader critique of and engagement with art historical movements​ (Apollo Magazine)​.

Saul's recent exhibitions continue to explore themes that satirize both social paradigms and the art establishment itself. His works, such as "Bad Day at the Gallery" and "Cheeseburgers in the Art World," humorously address the commercialization of art and the creative process, while others like "Global Warming" (2022 & 2023) critique societal attitudes towards climate change. Through these pieces, Saul leverages his signature comic satire and vibrant palette to challenge both societal norms and the orthodoxies of artistic movements​ (Juxtapoz Magazine - Home)​.

Further illustrating his reflective stance on art history, Saul's "New Work" exhibition at Michael Werner Gallery showcased his engagement with and reinterpretation of various art movements such as Cubism, Surrealism, and Impressionism. Saul admits to neither adhering to nor rejecting these movements outright, acknowledging their influence on his work while simultaneously contesting their limitations. His approach pays homage to art history, even as he defiantly positions himself against its conventions, as seen in works where he humorously depicts himself battling against the constructs of Modern Art​ (MW Gallery)​.

Saul’s approach to art—characterized by an amalgam of critique, homage, and defiance—reveals his deep engagement with the history of art even as he seeks to subvert its norms. This balance between acknowledgment and rebellion encapsulates Saul’s enduring influence and highlights his role as a pivotal figure who continually challenges the viewer to reconsider their perceptions of art and its societal roles.

Peter Saul's art is marked by its humorous and often irreverent takes on religion and society, reflecting a deep engagement with American culture and its many contradictions. Through his vibrant, cartoonish style, Saul critiques societal norms, political figures, and historical events with a mix of satire and absurdity. His works, brimming with bright, Day-Glo colors and manic details, invite viewers into a chaotic world where humor and horror intertwine​ (Wikipedia)​.

Saul's portrayal of figures from Angela Davis to George W. Bush, alongside infamous characters such as serial killer John Wayne Gacy and spy Ethel Rosenberg, demonstrates his willingness to tackle controversial subjects head-on. His series on the electric chair, including depictions of Jesus and various societal outcasts, provocatively comments on America's fascination with punishment and spectacle. Through these works, Saul offers a scathing critique of the voyeuristic tendencies within American society, pushing the boundaries of taste and decency​ (PopMatters)​.

Despite—or perhaps because of—his challenging of artistic and societal norms, Saul has remained a significant figure in the art world, with a career spanning over six decades that continues to be relevant in contemporary discussions on politics and culture. His work encourages a reevaluation of what we consider normative or acceptable, blending the grotesque with the comedic to highlight the absurdities of American life​ (Wikipedia)​​ (PopMatters)​.

Saul's approach to art is characterized by a unique blend of political engagement and artistic rebellion, making him a crucial voice in discussions on the role of art in society. His work serves as a reminder of the power of satire and humor in challenging the status quo and prompting viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about the world around them.