Kunst Please
By Jonathan Heath
Kunst PleaseOct 25, 2021
The Miracles of Maria Prymachenko
Now a symbol of peace and resistance, Maria Prymachenko was one of Ukraine's greatest artists. Self-taught, she became a legendary example of the Naive art movement. But in looking at her work, with the context of the time period in mind, could we say that is was just folksy and whimsical, or did it contain some brilliantly camouflaged criticisms of Stalin's genocidal operations...
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Rebecca Horn's Body of Work
After being locked down for a year recovering from a lung infection, the artist Rebecca Horn emerged from her cocoon to embark on a 40-plus multi-disciplinary art career that explored the feelings of isolation and the limitations of the human form. Highly relatable stuff for 2022.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Alexander Liberman's Modern Life
A modernist through and through, Alexander Liberman was not only one of the greatest art directors in history –legendary for his decades-long reign as Editorial Director at Condé Nast– he was also a celebrated artist in his own right. In contrast to the bold, fabulous fashion of his Vogue shoots and editorials, his art was highly minimal – everything about him was devastatingly chic.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Les XX: The Belgian Supergroup
After having his painting of a woman eating oysters alone barred from an exhibition in Antwerp, the artist James Ensor banded together with his friends to form a new group of artists known as Les XX. They would spend a decade exhibiting together alongside other luminaries of the time including great artists, musicians and literary folk.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Cabaret Voltaire: Bar Dada
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Ruth Asawa: Weaving a Legacy
After her time at the legendary Black Mountain College, Ruth Asawa went on to create incredible sculptures — way ahead of their time. Inspired by Mexican basket weavers and empowered after a unique and experimental art school experience, she battled against racism and subjugation to create art with impact, eventually cementing her legacy by spearheading more community based education opportunities.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Egon Schiele's Naked Ambition
Candid and controversial and yet with filled with delicate sensitivity, Egon Schiele's artworks and in particular his nudes are brutally honest reflections of our fragile forms. He was problematic, accused of being pornographic but undeniably important as an artist who captured the human form in a truthful and creative way.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Fairfield Porter's Beautiful Reality
Despite being part of the hip to be avant-garde New York School, Fairfield Porter went against the conventional cool of the period and painted decidedly realistic paintings of the beautiful everyday. Revolutionary pieces of total normality.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Sonia Delaunay’s Sublime Poetry
Overshadowed but not to be underestimated, Sonia Delaunay had a truly free creative spirit that saw her become not only an influential taste-maker and important modern artist, but also a consummate entrepreneur and master of her own personal brand.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
De Chirico & Nietzsche: Let’s Get Metaphysical
It’s an interesting time to look at Giorgio de Chirico and the influence of Nietzsche on his work. The streets outside are looking mighty familiar to De Chirico's paintings – desolate, full of foreboding, and with a sense of warped reality. We know them well, but now they’re empty or populated by hidden, masked versions of ourselves.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Great Alexanders of Russian Art
The “Socialist Realism” art movement was created in the early days of the Soviet Union to encourage/order Russian artists to create propaganda that inspired people to be better citizens. It resulted in a wealth of saccharine and kitsch art that failed to portray the realities of Russian life. However, Aleksandr Deineka and Alexander Rodchenko found a way around the guidelines and managed to create some incredible pieces.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Marisa Merz's Magical Arte Povera
Arte Povera, or "Poor Art" was born in Italy during the 60s. The movement's artistic aims were to rail against what they saw as cynical consumerism and elitism in the art world, by creating pieces from the most everyday and banal materials. Despite being marginalised at the time as the only female member, history has shown Marisa Merz to be one of the greatest exponents of the group.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Jean Dubuffet's Band of Outsiders
A little over 20 years after a psychiatrist completed a thesis on the artistic talents of the inmates of various German mental asylums, Jean Dubuffet coined the expression "Art Brut". Thus creating a movement that totally democratized the artistic process, and distanced itself from the de rigueur modes of the art scene. This was raw art – and anyone could make their mark.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
The Degenerate Art Exhibition
In 1937, Hitler signed-off on a massive exhibition of confiscated so-called Degenerate Art. The some 600 works represented some of the finest artists from Germany and beyond (all despised by the Nazis) working in various mediums of modern art. In a somewhat hilarious twist of fate, the exhibition proved to be one hell of a back-handed compliment.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
One Hell of a Trip
With a prolific career spanning six decades, Bridget Riley moved from monochromatic 60s Cool Britannia to modern expressions of beautiful, blended colour. Her Op Art style is all at once mesmerizing and trippy, but it exudes an innate mathematical precision thanks to meticulous preparation and detail.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Joan Brown: Reformed Rat Bastard
Joan Brown was a founder member of the San Francisco based art provocateurs, The Rat Bastard Protective Association. From the 60s to the 80s she regularly switched up her styles and approach to painting whilst inhabiting the same vibrant attitude. A talented swimmer, she adored the water and it provided a continuous inspiration to her until her untimely and tragic death.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Brazilian Coke Tastes Different
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/
Anish Kapoor: Paint it Black
The total void created by the beyond black pigment known as Vantablack was perfect for the infinite voids created by the legendary and highly celebrated artist Anish Kapoor. Unfortunately, his somewhat exclusive rights to use the anti-colour would become a tad divisive amongst the art community...
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
A Real Work of Art
Mark Wallinger's 1993 "flesh and bone" readymade was a racehorse dubbed 'A Real Work of Art'. Although not so successful at the track it serves as an impressively dense, and very wry commentary on the British class system all wrapped up in a celebration of the suffragette movement.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
The Truth Will Set You Free
Jenny Holzer's "Truisms" and "Inflammatory Essays" are brilliantly brutalist works of text-based art. Initially created between 1977 and 1982 the work is startlingly prescient and guaranteed to provoke a strong emotional reaction whether displayed as guerilla advertising or in a gallery setting.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Chris Burden: You Had To Be There
Chris Burden spent much of the 1970s creating wince-inducing performance art, and then evolved into a creator of stunning sculptural objects. The importance of the performative element was never lost in the transition though and his entire catalogue is filled with gems that demand a physical presence and attendance.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Art Deco's Material Girl
Tamara de Lempicka captured some of the most iconic imagery of the Art Deco period. Her clean and powerful style became synonymous with the movement. Whilst her personality and style captivated the art world and captured the hearts of many collecting luminaries such as Madonna, she should be best remembered as icon in feminist art and a hero to those who live on the fringes of society.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
This Art Kills Fascists
John Heartfield has been described as “the greatest political artist and graphic designer of the twentieth century.” Throughout the thirties his anti-fascist imagery ran rampant throughout Berlin, much to the displeasure of the Nazis who forced him to flee Germany. His work was always biting and often hilarious, and his impact on contemporary culture is undeniable.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Françoise Gilot: Surpassing Picasso
Françoise Gilot was the muse that became a master. She and Picasso spent 10 topsy-turvy years together, resulting in two children, amazing artistic progressions for both of them, and for the first time in Picasso’s prolific history of affairs, it was he who would be dumped.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Rubbing One Out: De Kooning Erased
One night in 1953, Robert Rauschenberg knocked on the door of Willem de Kooning's house. He held a freshly purchased bottle of Jack Daniels in his nervous hands, and a concept in his head so fiendishly ingenious that it’s execution would reverberate around the art world and help turn Rauschenberg into an icon himself.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
The Uncool Pop Art of The Hairy Who
As a collective, The Hairy Who exhibited together for just three years – but their success brought wide international acclaim to Chicago’s homegrown art movement. Their work was weird and dorky, quite unlike the colossally successful Pop Art of the time from such luminaries as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein whose efforts were far more clinical and detached.
Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
The Arty Pranks of Factory Records
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Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration of the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
The Magical Rituals of Betye Saar
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Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. The series seeks to explore the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
The Kahlo & Trotsky Affair
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Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. The series seeks to explore the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
Diego: The Other Giacometti
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Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. The series seeks to explore the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease
One Night in Arles
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Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art culture. Featuring the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space @kunstplease
Kay Sage: American Surrealist Royalty
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Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art culture. Featuring the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space @kunstplease
The Anatomy of Gray – Basquiat's Band
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Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art culture. Featuring the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space @kunstplease
The Mother of Brazilian Modernism
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Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art culture. Featuring the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space @kunstplease
Duchamp's Rrose by Another Name
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Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art culture. Featuring the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space @kunstplease
Le Corbusier - The Architect of Spectacle
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Kunst Please is a podcast about modern art. Each episode is a micro-dose of art history featuring personalities both famous and infamous, weird and wonderful. From the unheard to the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space @kunstplease
Valentine Schlegel – The Outsider Inside Artist
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Kunst Please is a podcast about modern art. Each episode is a micro-dose of art history featuring personalities both famous and infamous, weird and wonderful. From the unheard to the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space @kunstplease
Muriel Belcher's Den of Equality
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Kunst Please is a podcast about modern art. Each episode is a micro-dose of art history featuring personalities both famous and infamous, weird and wonderful. From the unheard to the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space @kunstplease
Yves Klein – Into The Void
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Kunst Please is a podcast about modern art. Each episode is a micro-dose of art history featuring personalities both famous and infamous, weird and wonderful. From the unheard to the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space @kunstplease
Salvador Dali – The Great Advertiser
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Kunst Please is a podcast about modern art. Each episode is a micro-dose of art history featuring personalities both famous and infamous, weird and wonderful. From the unheard to the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.
Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.
Follow the gallery space @kunstplease
Trailer
"Art is all a matter of personality" – Marcel Duchamp. Kunst Please is a podcast about modern art. An exploration of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Celebrating the personalities of and adjacent to – modern art.