1905 Building

Leon Golub, a central figure in American postwar painting, is often associated with work that is emotionally charged and politically engaged. The rough surfaces of his paintings, created by building up and scraping away layers of paint, often mimic and accentuate the charged subject matter. Working in a figurative style, Golub chooses subject matter that deals with both official and unofficial forms of power and conflict. It was, in fact, Golub’s devotion to figuration, as well as his political orientation, that placed him at odds with abstract expressionism during the 1950s.

Leon Golub: Paintings 1950–2000, organized by independent curator Jon Bird for the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, and installed at the museum by curator Douglas Dreishpooon, was a compelling exhibition of 39 paintings selected in consultation with the artist. These key works are supplemented by a large representation of Golub’s lesser-known political portraits.

This exhibition was organized by Curator Douglas Dreishspoon.