Hidden on a quiet street in downtown Manhattan is George Condo’s ‘Pastels’ exhibit at Hauser & Wirth, a small modern and contemporary art gallery. One’s eyes can’t help but gravitate towards the bright, intense colors and unusual shapes that characterize the complex beings in Condo’s pieces. On display from January 29th to April 12th 2025, Condo’s somewhat uncanny, imperfect, puzzle-like portraits offer insight into the chaotic nature of the human mind.
Condo’s command of the pastel medium is evident throughout his artwork. Pastels, soft and creamy sticks of pure pigment, were first utilized in the 16th century, notably by Leonardo da Vinci. After they were introduced to the artistic world, they continued to grow in popularity and are still widely used today. Condo’s deft manipulation of color and texture conveys a spectrum of emotions, with each stroke uncovering a deeper intention. His harsher, darker strokes depict feelings of fury and frustration, while his softer, lighter strokes illustrate bliss and hope. Furthermore, Condo’s mastery of pastels gives him an unparalleled sense of control over his work, allowing him to exercise his improvisational style to guide the direction of his portraits.
Condo’s skillful manipulation of contrasting colors and geometric shapes further challenges the viewer’s perception, creating a dynamic visual experience that captivates and guides the viewer’s gaze in countless ways. It is nearly impossible to fully capture any one individual piece – the varying hues and structures that fill the artwork create countless focal points and intersections for one’s eyes to absorb. The inconsistent color of the background also adds to this effect, as there is no stationary point of reference; instead, every aspect appears alive and moving. Every time one glances upon the artwork with fresh eyes, there is always something new to observe and interpret, which is very unique to Condo’s style. His characters are complex and unexpected, inviting the viewer to understand and appreciate the soul lying behind the clusters of conflated ideas.
Moreover, Condo’s work often incorporates elements of humor and absurdity. His characters, though fragmented and emotionally intense, also convey a sense of playful distortion that can evoke both discomfort and amusement. This duality in his art invites the viewer to not only confront the darker aspects of the human psyche, but also engage with the lighter, more whimsical elements of the human condition. The juxtaposition of humor with psychological depth serves to challenge our expectations, making Condo’s portraits feel all the more dynamic and unpredictable.
As we begin to explore the themes that shape Condo’s work, it’s important to understand the influences that inform his artistic journey and his place within the broader art world. Condo is a contemporary visual artist who is widely renowned for his contributions to the realm of art. He was born in Concord, New Hampshire in 1957, went on to study Art History and Music Theory at the University of Massachusetts, and now lives and works in New York City. His art has been featured in a multitude of art galleries and museums across the world, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and Tate Modern in London.
Condo is especially admired for the wide range of artistic influences that shape his work. Didier Ottinger, a specialist in modern and contemporary painting, wrote a book entitled George Condo: Humanoids, which focused on another one of Condo’s exhibits. In the book, Ottinger explores the diverse artistic influences that have shaped Condo’s art, tracing inspirations from the Old Masters to modern pop art. Through his work, Condo seamlessly blends creative forces from both the past and present, and Ottinger examines these connections in detail, along with Condo’s career and works over the years.
In addition to his distinct approach to portraiture, Condo’s work is often compared to Picasso’s, as both artists are associated with Cubism, an art movement introduced in the early 20th century, which fragments and reinterprets reality through geometric shapes and multiple perspectives. While Picasso focused on unemotional subjects with a muted palette, such as still lifes and landscapes, Condo uses Cubism to explore psychological states with vibrant colors. Condo refers to his approach as ‘psychological Cubism,’ emphasizing the emotional depth and complexity in his portraits. Though their styles share similarities, Condo’s work is distinct, and he has expressed frustration with the constant Picasso comparisons, noting that his own artistic journey is often misunderstood.
While Condo acknowledges the influence of past artists, he is keen to shape his style independently, forging a distinct artistic identity on his own terms, which he refers to as ‘artificial realism.’ Unlike artists who aim to replicate the world as it is, Condo distorts and exaggerates the human form to reveal the complexities of the human mind. His use of exaggerated features, fragmented shapes, and bold color palettes transforms the figure into a conceptual representation of psychological states rather than a strict depiction of reality. Through this artificial realism, Condo explores the contradictions and emotional depth of his subjects, creating a more abstract and psychological interpretation of the human experience. This approach allows him to express complex emotions that transcend the limitations of conventional representation.
Condo’s pieces in the ‘Pastels’ exhibit showcase a unique focus on the psychology of the human mind. Each piece layers various emotions and mental states on top of one another to reveal the conflicting nature of the human mind and its contrasting emotions at any given moment. This layering of emotions highlights the complexity of the human experience, where conflicting feelings often coexist and shape our responses to life’s challenges. Together, these contrasting emotions create a single complex being, with various colors and shapes to represent the multitude of attitudes being expressed at once.
For example, one of the center pieces of the exhibit, entitled ‘Abstract Male Portrait,’ reveals the constant disarray of the human mind. The left eye appears circular and afraid, contrasting with the right eye, which is crescent-shaped and downcast. Together, they illustrate a simultaneous confused, alert, and longing state, complemented by a diverse color palette and round, disk-like shapes. The shapes overlap each other in a careful, deliberate way, representing fragments of unfinished thoughts and ideas that fill the human mind.
‘Collision Course’ is another piece that is particularly striking. The rows of white rectangles scattered about the portrait, which seem to represent teeth, give the piece an uncanny feeling. These rows of teeth cling on to different features of the face, which are conflated together to create a complex being. The interrupted blend of shapes at the top of the piece mesh into splatters of pink and orange strokes at the bottom that trail off the bottom. The still, gray background contrasts with the seemingly moving and vibrant being portrayed in the piece, illustrating a cloudy, yet active mind.
As a visitor to the exhibit, Bronx Science student Emily Appelbaum ’27 found Condo’s style particularly intriguing, noting how the vibrant use of color and abstract shapes invited deeper reflection on identity and emotion. “I found the wide variety of colors used in the portraits really appealing. I thought it was cool how they portrayed identity using different shapes and how they weren’t necessarily realistic. Instead, Condo uses abstract elements so that the faces appear to be illustrating different emotions at the same time. The art is layered, and it isn’t what you see every day – it forces you to dig a little deeper,” she said.
Condo’s artistic style is truly sui generis, blending influences from various eras into a distinctive and unparalleled exhibit of unique and beautiful characters. Whether you’re captivated by the vivid colors, fragmented forms, or emotional intensity, this exhibit offers a rare opportunity to experience art that is as multifaceted and unpredictable as the human mind itself.
Condo’s skillful manipulation of contrasting colors and geometric shapes further challenges the viewer’s perception, creating a dynamic visual experience that captivates and guides the viewer’s gaze in countless ways.