Jean Hélion: Permanent Transformation

Jean Hélion, Mannequinerie en solde, 1978, acrylic on canvas, 57-1/2 x 45 inches
Jean Hélion, Mannequinerie en solde, 1978, acrylic on canvas, 57-1/2 x 45 inches (courtesy of Schroeder Romero & Shredder)

John Goodrich reviews the exhibition Jean Hélion: Five Decades at Schroeder Romero & Shredder, on view through June 30, 2012.

Goodrich writes: "Rather than presuming a role for art - as transcendent object, or omniscient sign - Hélion simply absorbed, with a remarkably astute eye, great instances of traditional painting, and pursued its possibilities in his own way. While many a postmodernist artist might toss all of tradition down the drain, Hélion found it vibrant and rich enough to re-invent from within. And yet, a wide, anarchic streak informs Hélion’s process, relying as it did on independent and spontaneous experience."