Jack Levine's Satirical Paintings Featured in 90th Birthday Exhibition at DC Moore Gallery

A mini-retrospective of Jack Levine's work was presented at DC Moore Gallery from January 6 to January 29, 2005, celebrating the artist's 90th birthday. Born in 1915 to Lithuanian immigrants in Boston's South End, Levine developed a lifelong skepticism toward political culture, influenced by the era of James Curley. His paintings satirize various subjects, including politicians, night clubbers, and the art crowd, with works like "For the Sake of Art" (1969-71) depicting avant-garde consumers leaving Lincoln Center in funereal tones. "Panethnikon" (1978) offers a ferocious view of the U.N. Security Council, reflecting his admiration for George Grosz. "Bandwagon (Four More Years)" (1973) expresses dismay at Richard Nixon's re-election and was displayed in honor of George Bush's 2004 re-election, capturing the tawdriness of presidential elections. Levine's technical mastery is evident in his use of Maroger medium and his control of form, as seen in a gouache of Cezanne's card players reimagined as cigar-smoking ward heelers. The exhibition included a never-exhibited self-portrait from the 1940s, prints that built his reputation, and works from his series of Jewish sages, blending Flemish, Mogul, and Persian miniature influences. His art combines lyrical surfaces with a satirical eye, gracing twentieth-century American painting.