I covered the introduction to Peter Saul in Part 1 of PETER SAUL @ Leo Koening Inc.  Recent Works – see the post in conjunction with this one.

Peter Saul’s work draws on Politics and Art History (among other things)….I asked Peter Saul if he thought his paintings were “political”.  Peter answered…”Yes” he things art should be political – should make a statement (maybe those are my words – I don’t remember his exact words to me..but that was the gist of it …stir things up….that’s part of what Art is for).

The Political Part …. hmm .. I guess you can say this painting about George Bush at Abu Ghraib does make a political statement….. 

“Bush at Abu Gharib” needs no explanation, according to Peter Saul.  I might add that George W. Bush has his hand up what looks to be a camal’s shot up face is a clear statement, by the artist, that George Bush is personally responsible for the mess in Iraq – it’s his hand up the shot up nose and the exposed brains – it’s Bush’s fault – the whole thing.  Bush even put the noose on the person/camel’s neck ….. want to know why the war is a mess – just look at the picture – who’s face is there.  Interesting, the eyes don’t look at you – they look at the camel, kinda.

It’s a large painting – just like the rest in the show.

Sardanapalus, painting in 2005, is a statement calling back to Delacroix’s painting “Death of Sardanaplaus”, painted in 1827.  I know all about Delacroix, let’s leave it at that.

Delacroix – Death of Sardanaplaus – 1827

“The tangle of bodies and vivid colors combine sensuality with violent death. The painting was based on a play by English romantic poet Lord Byron.”

Ok, and now here’s Peter Saul’s version….20 minutes later – after the deed was done.

Sardanapalus, 2005, 78 x 86 inches, Peter Saul – care of Leo Koening Inc.

According to Peter Saul “Sardanapalus pays homage to Delacroix imagined, but 20 minutes later; the great bed is n fire and the king’s dead body has been decapitated by his former guards, the better to remove his personal jewelry”.

So….all the “servents” were just interested in the King’s Jewelry, which Saul puts great detail into painting.  In my third post I’ll put in my photos and personal thoughts…but I want to cover the rest of the works in this post, post #2 of the series.  BTW, Peter Saul stays himself, just the way it should be…he may admire Delacroix – but out of his brush – comes Peter Saul, 100% – just as it should be.

The Execution of Jesus, 2006, is another one of Saul’s paintings that is very “political”.

While Peter Saul did not comment directly on this painting in his “To the Viewer” introduction, in the catelog of his work – he did address the overall question he’s trying to answer in his work.

 ”Politics, Propaganda and Pornography are the 3 other things my pictures need if I’m going to have any hope of connecting with a vibrant, healthy art world that craves thrills and chills.  Of course there’s the “other art world” (much more intelligent) I never think about  except to make fun of.  I have this intellectual theory that it’s only fair play.  If most artists paint the good stuff, I need to paint the bad stuff, to help create balance. Like with armies, if one side ahs all the takes and places, it’s not fair”.

I’m thinking of the Star Trek episode where Kirk arms the population of a peaceful planet with shotguns because the Romulans are doing the same thing. 

In fact, the whole thrust of Peter Saul’s paintings orginate in arguement that’s already been won – in favor of Art.  No one argues about Politics, Propaganda or Pornography are part of Art, or his right to include them…. these were concerns of Saul’s generation but the tide has turned – Saul is now an established master of American Art – not a renegade – as he likes to refer to himself.

In terms of what you can learn from Peter Saul’s painting today …. he’s a master artist – with a powerful command of his own technique – vision.  That’s why he’ll be remembered and how he’ll be remembered.

In the last post, I’ll give my ideas about Peter Saul’s technique and pictures of the Opening @ Leo Koening Inc.

I knew about Peter Saul’s paintings for over 20 years – Peter Saul has been painting for about 55 years – has a large body of work – and tonight I decided to cover Peter Saul’s opening at Leo Koening.  Hopefully this will lead to an interview of the artist either by email or in person sometime soon.

Becasue there’s a lot of material to cover – I’ll make this a two or three part post. I’ll use the photos provided by the gallery and put my own in the last post of this series.

When I walked into Leo Koening tonight – the first painting I saw – Self Portrait as a Woman – painted this year, care of Leo Loening Inc.

According to the catelog – which I bought and got a signed copy by the Artist – “Self Portrait as a Woman” tells a true story. 

“Sally (I think she’s Peter’s wife) and I were mistaken for 2 woman, a number of times, about a year ago.  Mybe it was our similar hairdo, maybe it was the dim light, but we decided it was O.K. as long as we weren’t mistaken for 2 men.

Artistically, I wanted to bring back, and improve, if possible, a certain pornographic-cartoony quality I remember having in my pictures of 1969 (Clement Greenburg etc).  It’s set in a doctor’s office because Sally was reading Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” out loud and it got into my head”.

This painting reminds me of a comic book panel – I was not aware,btw, that all of these paintings are in acrylic, it looked like they were done in oils – because of the blending of colors.  Shows you – you can do a lot with any medium – it depends on how it’s “worked”.   I grew up in the 1960′s and 1970′s as an artist, a teenager in the 1970′s, Acrylics was a new medium at the time – and Ralph Mayer – who wrote the book on Artists Materials which was the “Bible” of many artists – especially then – questioned the longevity of Acrylics.  Funny…no one gives a damm now – it’s not even a question anymore.  When you look at Saul’s choice of acrylic as a medium – in context (I’m assuming he used Acrylics in the work he did from the 60′s on) it was more of an issue then; today, no one cares – it’s the work that matters.

I spoke to Peter Saul for a minute or two; he said to me – as he looked at me last night….”who the hell are you”?  Me: I’m Marshall Sponder, and I’ve admired your work for a long time – I have a copy of your catalog – can you autograph it for me?

I told Peter Saul that I found out about his show tonight using Artcards.cc and only decided to come attend as I left work tonight.

Peter said – “Oh…the computer thing”….I don’t get involved with that!   

I guess, maybe he does not need to be connected as much to the internet – not needed for his work.

It’s like Peter Saul to take something – anything – and make a story about it – like a image map.  His name becomes a face, with an ear and a hand, indentifying himself and speaking to me – in a picture.   I think Peter was being as real as anyone could be – who does not know the person he’s speaking to – he made is response – a picture.

I’ll cover the rest of the show in my next two posts – stay tuned.