John Currin was born in Colorado Springs in 1962 and is best known for his provocative figurative paintings that merge classical technique with contemporary irony. Drawing on sources from Renaissance portraiture to 1970s magazines, Currin paints with virtuosic skill while satirising ideals of beauty, gender and taste. His characters — often exaggerated, eroticised or grotesque — reflect society’s contradictions around sexuality and aspiration. Currin’s work occupies an uneasy space between sincerity and parody, both mocking and revering the traditions of Western painting.

John Currin

American

Main

Artist

Printer

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The Europeans