Erin Byers
3-D Studio Art, Fall 1999


Kienholz:  American Satirist


"I'm not sure what art is--you know, art, capital A-R-T--and I don't even 
care a hell of a lot about what art is, but if there is such a thing as 
art, and if I have even made a piece of art, The Illegal Operation would 
be it...We bleed off it."

-Edward Kienholz(1)


	His childhood home in Fairfield, Washington was a family farm, and 
so he was expected to become a farmer, like his father before him.(2)  
From his birth in 1927 to his death in 1994, the funk artist Edward 
Kienholz ignored what was expected, seeking his own truth instead.
	Contrary to others. expectations, Kienholz briefly studied at 
local colleges before moving on to a plethora of seemingly random jobs:  
nursing at a psychiatric hospital, managing a dance band, dealing used 
cars, catering, decorating, and selling vacuum cleaners.(2)  Perhaps this 
broad range of experience was the source for some of his insight on his 
society.
	Throughout the years, Kienholz received no artistic training of 
any sort.  Nonetheless, in 1954 he made his first wood reliefs.  In the 
next few years he founded the NOW and Ferus Galleries in L.A., which were 
filled with his and other artists in Southern California's work.(2)  
During this time, Ed's artistic abilities were, essentially, missing.  The 
message, however, remained strong:  metaphoric, unrefined, moralist 
commentary on society.(3)
	This harsh morality produced very controversial artwork, which 
almost caused his retrospective at the L.A. County Museum of Art to be 
closed.(2)  Pieces such as "The Illegal Operation," focused on the taboo 
of abortion, used real-life, discarded objects such as rusted pans and 
hospital implements to shock and inspire the viewer.

"...expressionist sculptor concerned with the stupidity or the misery that 
is hidden just behind the facade of modern, commercial civilization."(4)

	The one thing that complemented Kienholz as an artist was his 
skill for putting things together.  His farmhouse childhood certainly 
proved to be good for something--he could fix or assemble virtually 
anything.(3)  Once again, Kienholz proudly swam against the current, 
ignoring formal training making his art with what he did best:  
assemblage.  In the piece "The Birthday," a mannequin is wrapped in cloth 
and attached to a gynecologist's table, with spears jutting from the 
feminine form's belly.
	Historically, Kienholz was associated with Surrealism, the German 
Dada movement and Marcel Duchamp.(1)  He was certainly a progressive 
artist for the time, and quickly became skilled at his craft, despite his 
inability to paint or draw well on flat surfaces.  Kienholz sought to 
expose the dark truth behind the happiness-filled American Dream:  
deception, madness, and misery.
	Kienholz met Nancy Reddin in 1972 while living in Los Angeles.(2)  
Not only did they marry, but they became partners in the art world.  From 
then on, both artists were listed on each work they created together.  
Together they created the giant "Merry-Go-World," a walk-in installation 
that used bright colors and a claustrophobic feel to turn society into a 
seemingly oppressive institution.
	The method of construction changed very little from Kienholz's 
early work to that just before his death, except that it became 
progressively more elaborate.  Ed began installing fishbowls in the place 
of body parts, and even included a half-assembled car for "Backseat Dodge 
'89."(5)
	He is too often listed as a pop artist, which is entirely 
inaccurate.  Pop artists use familiar objects which appeal to a mass sense 
of novelty, while Kienholz used blatantly unpleasant forms in his work.
	Edward and Nancy lived six months of each year in Berlin, and the 
other six in Idaho (again, seemingly unrelated) until Edward's death.  As 
a tribute to his life, his widow drove a 1940 Packard coupe down into a 
hole.  In it was Kienholz, embalmed and possessing the necessities for his 
afterlife:  a dollar, a deck of cards, a bottle of Chianti, and the ashes 
of his dog Smash.(3)
	It's true.

Works Cited

(1)	http://artscenecal.com/ArticlesFile/Archive/Articles1996		
	/Articles0796/EKienholz.html

(2)	http://www.fi.muni.cz/~toms/PopArt/Biographies/kienholz.		
	html

(3)	.Edward Kienholz..  Time Magazine, Vol 147.  May 6, 1996, No. 19.

(4)	Arnason, H.H.  History of Modern Art.  3rd Edition.  		
	1986:  Harry N. Abrams, Inc.; NY.

(5)	http://artchive.com/artchive/ftptoc/kienholz_ext.html


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