John Currin Selects

by Cheryl Brutvan, John Currin

How can one understand what the artist's eye sees? In this volume, the first in an occasional series of monographs, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, confronts the specific vision of a contemporary artist, publishing reproductions of artwork chosen by that artist alongside his own pieces. The celebrated young figurative painter John Currin has here selected some 30 works of portraiture, ancient to modern, from the MFA's permanent collection, evaluating them as one might a friend, enemy, or lover--subjectively, passionately, at times irrationally, but always with a visceral sense of connection and personal insight. Currin pairs these portraits, which in their juxtaposition become a composite self-portrait, with commentary on the works and the ways in which they relate to his own painting.

Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Currin is a curious fellow, but I admire his candidness when speaking of his own interests, appeals, convictions, and even pitfalls concerning art. While the essays are short (good for short airplane rides), they are worth rereading for the fact that Currin is a bit incomprehensible; I found myself wondering how he was using certain words like "fake" and "insincere" in the context he was using them which was interesting. Currin's portion of the "essay" is more a written recount of an interview, and it's more akin to flying by the seat of your pants than a slower, intellectually-driven conversation that usually makes up most artspeak. It's worth a read, even if it's just for a few nuggets of stand-out lines. Based on this alone, I'd be more interested in reading more of his insights.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the most interesting essay I have ever read.

[William West]

Saw this show at Boston MFA. Fascinating constellation of works arranged by painter Currin, including a couple examples of his own work. It was my first exposure to Currin.