Todd James, “TBC,” 2011, gouache and graphite on paper, 30 x 22 1/2 inches. Images courtesy Paul Kasmin.
“Pretty on the Inside,” an anxiety-provoking group show of figurative work at Paul Kasmin, will make you forget the ennui of contemporary abstraction. Todd James‘s eye-popping gouaches, fusing cartooning and a seventies pop sensibility, capture the intensity and absurdity of war. Other artists in the show, which is guaranteed to cut through summer torpor and set your nerves on edge, include KAWS, Tony Matelli, Erik Parker, Joyce Pensato, Peter Saul, and Karl Wirsum.
Todd James, “Have Shoulder Rocket Will Travel,” 2011, gouache and graphite on paper, 15 x 11 1/2 inches
Todd James, “One Two Three,” 2011, gouache and graphite on paper, 30 x 22 1/2 inches
Todd James, “Purple Jungle,” 2011, gouache and graphite on paper, 22 1/2 x 15 inches
Todd James, “Long Distance Service,” 2011, gouache and graphite on paper, 22 1/2 x 15 inches
“Pretty on the Inside,” organized by Erik Parker and KAWS. Paul Kasmin, New York, NY. Through August 19, 2011. Artists include Todd James, KAWS, Tony Matelli, Erik Parker, Joyce Pensato, Peter Saul, and Karl Wirsum.
