Curated by Bonnie Clearwater
Jonathan Meese: Either you love this German multimedia artist—or you despise him. There seems to be no middle ground between cultish adoration and contempt. Perhaps this midcareer survey, Meese’s first major museum show in the US, will provide a welcome opportunity for a more balanced estimation of the artist’s qualities. Rather than feature his expressionistic, dirty-looking paintings, the MOCA exhibition focuses chiefly on his sculpture: massive, heaving bronzes reflecting various obsessions (certain fictional characters and film stars; his mother). The exhibition also includes small opera-set maquettes and early assemblages, both of which combine sculpture and painting. But what of his performances? One hopes they will be included; it’s often said there’s no understanding Meese’s art without having seen them.
