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Cocktail Party Surprise - Conceptual Artist

Creator: Gahan Wilson
Offered by: Robert Funk Fine Art

Description
Gahan Wilson was a Conceptual Artist before he was a Cartoonist. Before laying pen to paper, Wilson had to conceive a big idea. It was his idea, not the actual drawing, that was the basis of his art. The drawing, although masterfully done, was just a vehicle for the idea.
To include Cartoonists in the "Conceptual Art" club challenges traditional assumptions about Art History and who's in the canon and who is not. The ranks of artists like Marcel Duchamp, Sol LeWitt, John Baldessari, Joseph Kosuth, Yoko Ono, Vito Acconci, and On Kawara should be widened to include Cartoonists like Gahan Wilson and Charles Addams.
Who was the greater artist, Gahan Wilson or Charles Addams? Given the scope and depth of Wilson's oeuvre and the sheer number of brilliant conceptual cartoons, I would say that they are on an equal plane. If you compare Gahan Wilson to so-called "Fine Art" artists, most of them are just one-trick ponies. They have one idea and usually one style, and they milk it as long as they can stay relevant. On the other hand, great cartoonists like Wilson and Addams have to think up a new idea for each work.
"Let's Go, Elise--I've Just Discovered this Cocktail Party is a Total Fraud!"
pen and ink on paper
signed lower left. Unframed.
Published: 'Gahan Wilson's Even Weirder', Forge: New York, 1996.

More Information

Documentation:	Signed
Period:	1980-1999
Creation Date:	1996
Styles / Movements:	Minimalism, Contemporary, Illustration
Article References:	Published: 'Gahan Wilson's Even Weirder', Forge: New York, 1996.
Incollect Reference #:	840000

Dimensions

W.	9 in;	H.	12 in;
W.	22.86 cm;	H.	30.48 cm;

Message from Seller:

Robert Funk Fine Art in Miami offers an eclectic collection shaped by 45 years of experience, blending art with commercial perspectives. For inquiries or art advisory services, contact Robert Funk at decoypoet@yahoo.com or 305.857.0521.