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August 2016
Review Gary Aagaard Merci Gallery, Tucson |
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Most of us have opinions about things, especially about politics, society, and the current state of the world. But few of us have the artistic ability to express our irritation, if not disgust, at the dissimulation, the sanctimonious self-aggrandizement, and the hypocrisy we encounter see all around us, especially among too many of our politicians. Tucson artist Gary Aagaard has the artistic ability to express all that in spades. Better yet, he uses humor and satire to make us laugh at the general nuttiness of the world, and at ourselves for tolerating it all.
Aagaard exhibits regularly in Tucson, but it’s rare to see a large collection of his work in one place in a solo show. We have that opportunity now. He currently has several paintings on display at Merci Gallery through August. For art lovers who enjoy wickedly witty visual commentary on current events, this is a don’t-miss exhibit.
Aagaard exhibits regularly in Tucson, but it’s rare to see a large collection of his work in one place in a solo show. We have that opportunity now. He currently has several paintings on display at Merci Gallery through August. For art lovers who enjoy wickedly witty visual commentary on current events, this is a don’t-miss exhibit.
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Here’s just one example of Aagaard’s ability to combine a scathing look
with humor. Not a few of us are still wondering why certain stockbrokers and bankers are not in jail after what they did to the U.S. and world economy in 2008. His painting, The Real Thugs, expresses visually our ineffective complaints about these miscreants. He portrays them as gangsters, dressed in hoodies and sporting logos from Goldman Sachs, Citi Bank, The Hartford Insurance Company, etc. |
GAagaard_The Real Thugs_
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GAagaard_Trump_
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In an election season, it’s not surprising that Aagaard has turned his skewering eye on our politicians. Trump is too delicious a target to ignore. Rest assured that Hillary Clinton does not escape Aagaard’s gaze. See Aagaard’s website for proof of that.
And he takes on certain well-known politicians who are always quick to suggest “send in ground troops” no matter what the problem might be. |
GAagaard_The Dulling_
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GAagaard_Ma Nature_
Originally from Seattle, Aagaard has a 30+ year illustrious career as an illustrator. He has won numerous awards for his illustrations in publications such as the New York Times, and for several American book publishers. He has collaborated on a children’s book as well.
Aagaard’s artwork is considered an example of the international art movement Social Realism, defined as an art movement which “draws attention to the everyday conditions of the working class and the poor” and which includes artists who are “critical of the social structures which maintain these conditions.” Best known American Social Realists are Grant Wood (American Gothic), Thomas Hart Benton, Jacob Riis, Dorthea Lange, and Walker Evans. Some of Mexico’s most famous 20th century painters were Social Realists, among them José Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siquieros.
Aagaard explains his perspective. “Generally, I've had a positive experience yet tend to be irked by the frequent political and religious hypocrisy, general apathy (relating to war, the environment, fact-challenged pundits, etc.) and dogma of any stripe that leads to social and spiritual tunnel vision.”
Having a long-standing interest in our environment (my interest long ago escalated from “concern” to “alarm”), Aagaard’s Ma Nature: This Time It’s Personal is probably my favorite Aagaard painting. Unfortunately it is not on view at Merci in August. Let’s hope it appears again in Tucson soon. If anyone still has doubts that climate change is happening now, this Mother Earth figure in Aagaard’s painting looks like she’s on her way to a funeral. She’s carrying a bag full of surprises for us - massive storms, tornadoes, hurricanes- and who knows what else. Sure, those sunflowers look okay….for now anyway.
Aagaard’s artwork is considered an example of the international art movement Social Realism, defined as an art movement which “draws attention to the everyday conditions of the working class and the poor” and which includes artists who are “critical of the social structures which maintain these conditions.” Best known American Social Realists are Grant Wood (American Gothic), Thomas Hart Benton, Jacob Riis, Dorthea Lange, and Walker Evans. Some of Mexico’s most famous 20th century painters were Social Realists, among them José Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siquieros.
Aagaard explains his perspective. “Generally, I've had a positive experience yet tend to be irked by the frequent political and religious hypocrisy, general apathy (relating to war, the environment, fact-challenged pundits, etc.) and dogma of any stripe that leads to social and spiritual tunnel vision.”
Having a long-standing interest in our environment (my interest long ago escalated from “concern” to “alarm”), Aagaard’s Ma Nature: This Time It’s Personal is probably my favorite Aagaard painting. Unfortunately it is not on view at Merci in August. Let’s hope it appears again in Tucson soon. If anyone still has doubts that climate change is happening now, this Mother Earth figure in Aagaard’s painting looks like she’s on her way to a funeral. She’s carrying a bag full of surprises for us - massive storms, tornadoes, hurricanes- and who knows what else. Sure, those sunflowers look okay….for now anyway.
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It should be clear by now that Aagaard has a somewhat different perspective on the world around him.
Here we see several well-known and not-so-well known public figures who all share a form of the word “mother” in their names. Who would think to put Mama Cass of the Mamas and the Papas and Frank Zappa of the Mothers of Invention in the same context with Mother Theresa, Mother Goose, and Mother Jones? Aagaard makes those connections. |
GAagaard_Yo Mama_
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One of Aagaard’s most interesting paintings on view now is his
C’est Tucson (after Magritte). That’s “It’s Tucson” in the French language. Here the artist moves from Social Realism to Surrealism, and the results are intriguing. We see here Rene Magritte’s painting Son of Man (1946) that inspired Aagaard’s painting. Magritte said of the apple, “At least it hides the face partly. Well, so you have the apparent face, the apple, hiding the visible but hidden, the face of the person. It's something that happens constantly. Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see. There is an interest in that which is hidden and which the visible does not show us. This interest can take the form of a quite intense feeling, a sort of conflict, one might say, between the visible that is hidden and the visible that is present." In Aagaard’s C’est Tucson (after Magritte), we can’t help but wonder what is hidden by what we see of the man in his Sonoran Desert environment with a nopal pad instead of an apple hiding his face? What is the meaning of the bolo tie, the bandana instead of a handkerchief, the feather, the clouds, the mountains? What is the visible that is hidden in this painting? What do you think? What do you see? Gary Aagaard’s work will be on view through August at Merci Gallery in the Iron Horse historica district of Tucson. He also has work on display now at the Tubac Center of the Arts. Aagaard’s next exhibit will be in October at Contreras Gallery where he will show with Rand Carlson and David Fitzsimmons. To see more of Aagaard’s work, visit his website at: http://www.garyaagaard.com/index.html Check Merci Gallery’s website for hours and location. http://www.mercigallery.com/#merci-gallery-tucson |
Rene Magritte_Son of Man_
Gary Aagaard_C'est Tucson (after Magritte)_
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