Meese's Pieces

NEW YORK—Berlin-based artist Jonathan Meese established himself as an envelope-pushing art star when he presented a chaotic, roomlike installation filled with posters and found objects at the Berlin Biennial in 1998. In the decade since, he has deftly explored painting and sculpture, and his recent work in these two mediums can be seen at New York’s Bortolami Gallery, from May 8 to June 14. Richly hued oils, priced between $8,000 and $13,000, appear small-scale for Meese at two square feet, but their dense layers of paint and surprise elements—one is emblazoned with a rubber bat—exemplify his baroque, sometimes disquieting style. Notable among his bronzes on view (typically sold for upwards of $100,000), is a menacing eagle cast, in part, from potato chip canisters.

"Meese's Pieces" originally appeared in the May 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's May 2008 Table of Contents.