George Condo

"Living in New York City I sometimes think, sure, it would be beautiful to be out in the countryside and paint nature. I'd love to go out and sit down in front of a landscape with a lake and paint the reflections and birds and all kinds of wildlife. And start describing each living thing and paint it as I see it. And then I said, well I'm in a landscape already.

"The landscape I live in is the landscape of ripped drawings, of paint all over the place, of pencil sketches and drawings that have been compiled, images that have been thought about and turned and twisted. And suddenly I realize that I am in the landscape, and this is my landscape, and there's no point in trying to run away. I may as well just make art of it."

Biography - In the early 80's, George Condo arrived in New York where he became close friends with members of Andy Warhol's Factory including Julian Schnabel, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. He collaborated with the heroes of the Beat Generation, William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg. "His work was governed by the reworking of the Old Masters, in a lyric universe in which the human being is decomposed in a multiplicity of non-human beings merged from his own unconsciousness: 'I conceive artistic language as my own natural reactions, a combination of rational and irrational.' "

Through his work, qualified as a "figurative abstraction", it is quite impossible to determinate a frontier between representation and abstraction, between academic art and avant-garde, between popular imagery and High Art.

An enthusiast of Jazz Music, and connoisseur of the whole history of art, George Condo has work is in permanent collections of major museums worldwide including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Ludwig Museum, Cologne; etc.

Exhibitions
2004 “…As Time Goes By,” Leo Koenig Inc. & Gordian Weber Kunsthandel, Leo Koebig Inc., New York
2004 “Malerei 7,” Monika Spruth Philomene Magers, Cologne, Germany
2004 ‘Religious Paintings’ George Condo, Sprueth Magers Lee, London
2003 “Splat Boom Pow! The Influence of Cartoons in Contemporary Art,” Contemporary Arts
2003 Museum Houston, TX. Travelling to: Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH
2003 Depury Luxembourg, Zurich
2003 Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich
2003 George Condo: The Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Cambridge MA
2002 Luhring Augustine, New York
2002 Schlosspark Wendlinghausen, Landscape Garden OstWestfalenlippe, Westfalen, Germany
2002 “Paintings 1993-2001,” Baldwin Gallery, Aspen, CO
2002 “Ahead of the 21st Century. The Pisces Collection,” Donaueschingen, Switzerland (June)
2002 “New York Expression,” Bergen Art Museum
2001 Monika Spruth-Philomene Magers, Munich, Germany
2001 Physiognomical Abstraction (Catalogue available), Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont, Paris, France
2001 Physiological Abstraction, Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont, Paris
2001 George Condon: Monika Spruth-Philomene Magers, Munich, Germany
2000 George Condo: Jazz Paintings, Pace Wildenstein, 142 Greene Street, New York
2000 Portraits Lost In Space, Deitch Projects, New York
2000 Portraits, 11 Duke Street, London
2000 Mental States, Patrick Painter, Inc., Santa Monica
1999 George Condo: Televised Silkscreens, Sandra Gering Gallery, New York
1999 George Condo: Silkscreen Paintings, Pace Wildenstein, Los Angeles
1999 George Condo, Texas Gallery, Houston
1999 New Paintings, Galerie Monika Sprüth, Cologne
1999 George Condo: New Paintings, Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich
1998 George Condo, Monika Sprüth Galerie, Cologne
1998 The Horse and the Cardinal: George Condo and William Burroughs Collaborative Works 1988 – William Borroughs George Condo Collaborations 1988-1996, Pat Hearn Gallery, New York
1998 Collage Paintings, PaceWildenstein, 142 Greene Street, New York
1998 Pages de Garde/End Papers, PaceWildenstein, Los Angeles
1997 Collage Abstractions, PaceWildenstein, Los Angeles
1996 Collage Paintings, PaceWildenstein, 142 Greene Street, New York
1996 Pages de Garde/End Papers, Pace Wildenstein, 142 Greene Street, New York
1996 Drawings 1976-1996, PaceWildenstein, Los Angeles
1996 Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris
1996 IT Park Gallery, Taipei
1995 McKinney Avenue Contemporary, Dallas
1995 Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston
1995 Palais des Congrès de Paris, Paris
1995 Zeichnungen, Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich
1995 Paintings and Drawings, PaceWildenstein, New York
1994 Recent Paintings, PaceWildenstein, 142 Greene Street, New York
1993 Galeria Salvador Riera, Barcelona
1993 Galeria Fernando Latorre, Zaragoza
1993 Sculpturen, Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich
1992 Monika Sprüth Galerie, Cologne
1992 Obra 1990-1992, Galerìa Soledad Lorenzo, Madrid
1992 Stuart Regen Gallery, Los Angeles
1992 Neue Bilder, Galerie Pfefferle, Munich
1992 Gravats, Galeria Joan Prats, Barcelona
1992 Galeria Salvador Riera, Barcelona
1991 Recent Paintings, The Pace Gallery, New York
1991 Galerie de Poche, Paris
1991 Monika Sprüth Galerie, Cologne
1991 Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo
1991 Peintures récentes 1989-90, Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris
1991 Drawings, Galerie Kaj Forsblom, Helsinki
1991 Paintings, Drawings, Prints, Michael Maloney Contemporary Art, Inc., Santa Monica
1991 “The 1980’s: Selections from the Permanent Collection,” Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
1991 “Contemporary Art from the Collection of Jason Rubell,” Duke University Museum of Art, Durham, North Carolina
1991 “Myth and Magic in the Americas: The Eighties,” Museuo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey, Mexico
1990 “Academy-Institute Invitational Exhibition of Painting & Sculpture,” American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, New York
1990 “Le Visage dans l’art contemporain,” Musee Des Jacobins, Toulouse, traveled to Musee du Luxembourg, Paris
1990 “Pharmakon 90,” Nippon Convention Center, Makuhari Messe, International Exhibition Halle, Japan
1990 “The Last Decade: American Artists of the80’s,” Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York
1990 “Drawings of the Eighties: Part II,” The Museum of Modern Art, New York
1989 “1979-1989 American, Italian, Mexican Art from the Collection of Francesco Pellizi,” Hofstra Museum, Hempstead
1989 “I triennial de Dibuix – Joan Miro,” La Fundacion Joan Miro, Barcelona, Spain
1989 “Sculpture by Painters,” The Pace Gallery, New York
1989 “Exposition Inaugurale,” Fondation Daniel Templon, Musee Temporaire, Frejus, France
1989 “Summer Installation,” Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
1989 “Aldo Crommelynck Master Prints with American Artists,” Whitney Museum of American Art at the Equitable Center, New York
1989 “Painting Beyond the Death of Painting,” Koznetzky Most Exhibition Hall, Moscow, Russia
1989 Waddington Galleries, London
1988 Monika Sprüth Galerie, Cologne
1988 Neue Arbeiten, Monika Sprüth Galerie, Cologne
1988 Paintings and Drawings, The Pace Gallery, New York
1988 Galeria Leyendecker, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
1988 Works on Paper, Vrej Baghoomian Inc., New York
1988 “Recent Drawings,” Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
1988 “Biennal Exhibition,” Whitney Museum of Americna Art, New York
1987 Neue Bilder, Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich
1987 Monika Sprüth Galerie, Cologne
1987 Gemälde/Paintings 1984-1987, Kunstverein, Munich
1987 Paintings 1983-1987, Akira Ikeda Gallery, Nagoya
1987 Monika Sprüth Galerie, Cologne
1986 Paintings, Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo
1986 Recent Paintings, Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York
1986 Larry Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles
1986 “Drawings,” Knights Gallery, Charlotte, North Carolina
1985 Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York
1985 Pat Hearn Gallery, New York
1985 Schilderijen en Tekeningen, Galerie `t Venster, Rotterdam
1985 Neue Arbeiten, Monika Sprüth Galerie, Cologne
1985 Major new works, Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich
1984 Galerìa Leyendecker, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
1984 Bilder - Zeichnungen, Monika Sprüth Galerie, Cologne
1984 Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York
1984 “East Village Painters,” Artists Space, New York
1983 “Terminal Show,” Artists Library, Brooklyn, New York
1983 Paintings and Works on Paper, Ulrike Kantor Gallery, Los Angeles

Literature
2002 “Splat Boom Pow! The Influence of Cartons in Contemporary Art,” Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, p. 93
2002 Rugoff, Ralph. “The Imaginary Portraits of George Condo,” Fall 2002, Power House Books
2002 “Ahead of the 21st Century. The Pisces Collection,” Hadjie Cantz Publishers, 2002, pp 43-53 (exhibition catalogue)
2001 George Condo Physiognomical Abstraction, Galerie Jerome De Noirmont, Paris
2001 “Mythic Proportions. Painting in the 1980’s,” Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami
2001 “Condo Televised Silkscreens,” Abaton Books Company, Newton, New Jersey
2000 Drawings 2000 at Barbara Gladstone Gallery, Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York
2000 Dickhoff, Wilfried. “After Nihilism: Essay son Contemporary Art,” Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
1999 George Condo: Portraits Lost In Space, PaceWildenstein and Deitch Projects, New York
1998 FitzGerald, Michael. George Condo: Collage Paintings, PaceWildenstein, 1998, interview with the artist
1998 Ruiz Picasso, Bernard.Pages de Garde/End Papers, PaceWildenstein, 1998,poems by Ruiz Picasso, illustrations by Condo
1998 Matthew Collings, “It Hurts, New York Art from Warhol to Now,” 21 Publishing, pp. 139-143, illustrated by Condo
1997 Davvetas, Demosthenes. Dialogues, France: Au Même titre, Imprimé par Jouve.
1996 Le thorei-Daviot, Pascale. Petit dictionnaire des artistes contemporains, Paris, Bordas
1996 Myths and Magical Fantasies, California Center for the Arts Museum, Escondido
1995 Kuspit, Donald. George Condo: Paintings and Drawings, PaceWildenstein, New York
1994 Burroughs, Willam S. George Condo: Recent Paintings. The Pace Gallery, New York
1993 Drawing the Line Against AIDS, American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR) International
1993 Wilson, Adolfo and Namia Mondolfi. Materia, Imagen y Concepto: Un Recorrido por el Arte Contemporáneo Internacional. Galería Namia Mondolfi, Caracas
1992 Condo, George. La Línea Quebrada y Extractos de 'El Gran Jefe', George Condo: Obra 1990-1992. Galeria Soledad Lorenzo, Madrid
1992 Dickhoff, Wilfried and Reiner Speck. Ars Pro Domo. Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst am Museum Ludwig, Cologne
1992 Le Portrait Dans L'Art Contemporain. Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain, Nice
1992 Rose, Bernice. Allegories of Modernism: Contemporary Drawing. The Museum of Modern Art, New York
1992 Bonet, Juan Manuel and Gorge Condo. Galeria Salvador Riera, Barcelona
1991 Schjeldahl, and Edward J. Sullivan. Mito y Magia en América: Los Ochenta. Monterrey: Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey
1991 Dickhoff, Wilfried. In Ictu Oculi: The Post-Nondeconstructive Paintings of George Condo, George Condo: Recent Paintings. The Pace Gallery, New York
1991 George Condo. Art Random, Kyoto Shoin International, Co., Ltd., Kyoto
1991 Riley, Charles A. II. Sélection. Musée d'Art Contemporain, Pully/Lausanne, Switzerland
1990 Guattari, Félix. Introduction and Discussion, George Condo, Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris.
1989 Bilderstreit. Museum Ludwig, Cologne
1989 George Condo. Waddington Galleries, London
1988 Geldzahler, Henry. On George Condo, George Condo: Paintings and Drawings. The Pace Gallery, New York
1988 Honnef, Klaus. Kunst der Gegenwart. Taschen
1988 Weinberg, Adam D. Aldo Crommelynck Master Prints with American Artists. Whitney Museum of American Art at Equitable Center, New York
1987 Armstrong, Richard, John Hanhardt, Richard Marshall and Lisa Phillips Excerpts from the novel Orest and interview with the artist by Demosthenes Davvetas
1987 Biennial Exhibition. New York: Whitney Museum of American Art
1987 Dickhoff, Wilfried. Expanding Canvas or The Alter-Ego Strikes Back, Edition
1987 George Condo: Paintings & Drawings, Kunstverein München, excerpts from the novel Oret and
1986 Dickhoff, Wilfried. The Being of Nothingness - Notes on the existential abstraction in George Condo's paintings, George Condo, Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York
1986 Dickhoff, Wilfried. Primer Salòn Irrealiste, Tenerife. Galeria Leyendecker, Santa Cruz de
1986 George Condo. Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo
1986 Godfrey, Tony. The New Image, Paintings in the 1980's. New York
1986 Saltz, Jerry. Beyond Boundaries. New York
1986 Thomas, Karin. Bis Heute. Cologne
1985 Dickhoff, Wilfried. Vor-Schein oder Aschenglanz, Künstliche Paradiese. Kunstverein München
1985 Dickhoff, Wilfried W. and Wolfgang Drechsler, Phase II. Steirischer Herbst '85.
1985 Flood, Richard. Das Veritgo Paradigma, Künstliche Paradiese. Kunstverein München and
1984 Dickhoff, Wilfried, Nouveau Boheme, Cologne
1984 Perspective 1984. Basel Art Fair, Basel