Edward Kienholz Biography
Edward Kienholz (1927-1994) was an American artist of great originality, criticality and notoriety, who created powerful and thoughtful works on the social and political issues of late 20th century America.
He has created life-size three-dimensional paintings and immersive environments, composed of waste materials collected at flea markets and garage sales. Although best known for his contributions to the development of post-war sculpture, Kienholz was also an important promoter of the Los Angeles avant-garde, founder of the NOW Gallery and co-founder of the Ferus Gallery, a key meeting place for poets and artists emerging people of the time. Kienholz broke away from the relief format to concentrate on detailed and elaborate three-dimensional assemblages. His most famous scenes include “Roxy's” (1961), a replica of a 1943 Las Vegas brothel, “Back Seat Dodge '38” (1964), an intimate tableau of a couple wrapped up in each other in the backseat of a car, and “The Beanery” (1965), a reproduction of a decadent bar with 17 figures, smells, music and conversation in the background. Some critics characterized some of his images as repugnant or even pornographic.
Beginning in 1972, he worked almost exclusively with his fifth wife, the artist Nancy Reddin Kienholz, who played a significant role in the conception and creation of his most recent works.
