Lari Pittman

Rating:
Summary: California Dreaming
Review: After searching fruitlessly for an anthology of LA-based pop painter Lari Pittman's work, I was pleased as Orange County punch to find this catalog on Amazon. Publishing a challenging, comprehensive book on a mid-career artist such as Pittman is an accomplishment in itself. The abundance of color plates combined with the challenging essays make Lari Pittman appropriate as either an introduction to the artist's work or a collectable for a seasoned enthusiast. Pittman's work speaks for itself, with its complex candy-colored compositions. While packed with contemporary pop images and clever text, these paintings are more than just eye candy. Beneath his delicious surfaces, Pittman reveals provocative themes of classism and consumerism. The biographical and critical information presented in Lari Pitman is also well worth reading. All in all, this is a must-have for any contemporary art library.