George Dureau
Two Figures
Charcoal on Paper
26.5″ x 20″
$1200
Two typically whimsical creatures by New Orleans art legend George Dureau, who powerfully influenced his friend Robert Mapplethorpe and was a very important New Orleans artist and photographer in his own right. This does have a metal frame and is matted, but there’s a small crack in the glass. You can either have the glass replaced (cheaply) and save money on framing, or just have it framed the way you like.
George Dureau, New Orleans legend
George Dureau was one of New Orleans’ major 20th-century artists (b. 1930, d. 2014). His drawing style is instantly recognizable, as he was a notable draftsman, but he is just as well known for his photography. His pictures often included dwarves and amputees – not as a sort of freak show, but in order to expand the notion of beauty and “rightness.” His photos and drawings of black men inspired Robert Mapplethorpe, who was a friend. Both worked in a classical, formal tradition, but with a transgressive, contemporary flavor. Dureau is an icon in the history of New Orleans art.
Dureau retrospectives
Ogden Museum of Souther Art
2006, 2011
New Orleans Museum of Art
2009
Here’s a link to more about the artist.