Leon Golub: Echoes of the Real
Jon Bird

The Messenger – Leon Golub was a gritty artist who never looked the other way when it came to depicting the shocking realities of life. The horrific torture photos – from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq to the private prison in Brazoria County, Texas, when George W. Bush was Governor to the certain abuses occurring today in Texas, others states and around the world – are grotesque examples of ugly human behavior. They could also be Leon Golub paintings. Entertainment confirms what we know and comforts us. Art confuses us and challenges us to grapple with the truth, no matter how beautiful or ugly. Leon Golub was a true artist.