Amy Bessone / Thomas Houseago - Tapa dura

This is an illuminating monograph on the rare collaboration between two contemporary artists. Leeds born sculptor Thomas Houseago (1972-) recalls the expressive figures of classical Greek sculpture and Picasso's cubism in his monstrous statues and masks. He numbers among his artistic influences Picasso, Giacometti, Surrealism, and rock album covers. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles. New York born painter Amy Bessone (1970-) depicts small porcelain figurines blown up to monumental size that subvert the very image of the collectable. Her sensual female nudes, through their treatment and brushwork, invoke Picasso and Matisse yet remain entirely anti-modernist. She too currently lives and works in Los Angeles. This rare collaborative exhibition provides a rigorous exploration of the figure through the lens of popular culture and art history.

Rachel Rosenfield Lafo is the former Director of Curatorial Affairs at DeCordova Museum and an independent curator. Philipp Kaiser is curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.