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William N. Copley Western Songs (paintings and drawings, 1965-66) |
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From January 9th until February 28th 2009 EL SOURDOG HEX e.V. is presenting works by William N. Copley:.Western Songs– paintings & drawings, 1965-66. "Western Songs" examines the myths of everyday American life in the works presented by painter, illustrator and exhibition curator William N. Copley.
"The surrealists were the key influence of Copley. s paintings until the mid-1950s. By 1956, Copley had developed his own distinct
set of iconography, with certain features of his work . like melons, umbrellas, guillotines and mirrors . appearing time and again.
It reads like the language of la vita erotica in which everything is an expression of a bold yet carefree joie de vivre.
His ability to put a humorous spin on life enabled him to examine earnest subject matter like crime, punishment and death in such a
way that focused on their entertainment value and not their gravity. It. s not sins or virtues that Copley judges, but rather the
mores of propriety and social convention. By the time he returned to New York in the early 1960s, the pulse of art had shifted from
Paris to New York, and Pop Art had triumphed over Abstract Expressionism. By the mid-1960s, romanticized iconography of everyday
American life like cowboys and saloons took on a more prominent role in Copley. s work. Likewise, trivial subject matter like pin-up
girls and comic-strip-inspired depictions of daily life are juxtaposed against symbols of nationhood like flags thus resulting in
subtle yet effective commentary."
"Copley is regarded as a late Surrealist and precursor of Pop Art. Copley. s art was widely lauded during his lifetime.
In 1951, Copley holds his first solo exhibition in Los Angeles. Further such exhibitions follow in New York, Paris, Milan,
Venice and London."
"The source of all that is ridiculous can be found in human behavior, which we notoriously do not understand."
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