Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld named John Currin among his idols, a controversial American artist renowned for his weirdly riveting sexually explicit oil portraits. Currin's work is remarkable in part because his subjects tend to look at once wholesome and evil and because his technique is so accomplished. In fact, this figurative painter has been described by The Nation as “one of the brightest art stars of the early twenty-first century” despite the provocative subject matter.
Read this interview with Calvin Tomkins from the New Yorker for an enlightening and entertaining look at Currin, "Old Master of pornography." J'adore this quote regarding the inspiration for his models:
"The central figure’s face came from an advertisement for housecoats in a nineteen-seventies Montgomery Ward catalogue, which [Currin] has torn out and taped to the wall. 'She shows up in other catalogues,' he says. 'She’s got something special.' In the Internet photograph, the middle figure is swooning in sexual transport, eyes closed and lips parted, but the model in the catalogue looks right at you and smiles broadly, and why not? Her housecoat is priced at $29.90, and never needs ironing."
Currin and his wife (and artist) Rachel Feinstein and their two children Francis and Hollis were photographed for the editorial "Sept Families" in the March 2009 issue of Vogue Paris. Another of Vladimir's favorites Raphael Mazzucco and his famly were also featured in the article, I wonder if La Roitfeld consulted with Vladi on this one?
John Currin painting courtesy of cara-phillips.com
John Currin and son photograph © 2009 Independent News and Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.