GEORGE CONDO

Condo’s works have been exhibited globally, including in a major retrospective at the New Museum, in New York in 2011. He is considered a key influence on both visual art and contemporary pop culture.

Early Years

Born in 1957 in Concord, New Hampshire, Condo studied art history and music theory at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, from 1976 to 1978, before leaving to pursue a career in art. After an early period in Boston, he relocated to New York City in the late 1970s, where he briefly worked at Andy Warhol‘s Factory—an experience that connected him to the city’s vibrant postmodern art scene.

In the 1980s, Condo spent significant time living and working in Europe, particularly Paris, which deepened his engagement with classical painting traditions. Today, he lives and works between New York City and East Hampton.

George Condo Artworks

George Condo’s artworks fuse the historical and the contemporary, referencing the likes of Velázquez, Picasso, and Goya while employing a style he terms ‘Artificial Realism’—the realistic representation of the artificial. His hybrid figures and grotesque portraits reflect the absurdity and fragmentation of modern psychological life.

What is ‘Artificial Realism’?

Coined by Condo himself, ‘Artificial Realism’ refers to the deliberate synthesis of realism and abstraction, high and low culture. Works such as The Insane Clown (2006) and Smiling Girl with Black Hair (2002) exemplify his use of fractured faces and exaggerated expressions, revealing emotional states through distorted forms.

What are George Condo’s influences?

George Condo draws from a wide spectrum of influences, blending the techniques of classical European painting with the energy of American pop culture. He cites Old Masters such as Velázquez, Goya, and Rembrandt, alongside modernists like Picasso and de Kooning, as core to his visual and conceptual approach. Throughout the 1990s, Condo increasingly incorporated references to European Old Master painting, visible in works like his Jesus series (1994–95) and The Cloudmaker (2004), which combine refined oil techniques with surreal and grotesque imagery. His early experience at Andy Warhol’s Factory also informed his understanding of celebrity, repetition, and surface. Additionally, elements from cartoons, comics, and jazz contribute to his improvisational style and fractured figuration.

What themes does George Condo explore in his art?

George Condo’s art explores themes of identity, psychological states, and the absurdities of modern life. His works often depict fragmented figures and distorted portraits that reflect inner turmoil, social anxiety, and emotional instability. Drawing on art history, popular culture, and personal experience, Condo investigates the boundaries between beauty and grotesque, reality and invention. His concept of ‘Psychological Cubism’ allows him to visualise multiple states of mind within a single figure, evoking a sense of multiplicity, chaos, and humour. A notable example is The Secretary (2007), held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Collaboration and Pop Culture

Condo has collaborated with several musicians and writers, including William S. Burroughs and Kanye West, for whom he created the cover art for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). These collaborations extended his reach into popular culture and introduced his visual language to new audiences.

George Condo Exhibitions

Condo has participated in numerous solo and group institutional exhibitions, a selection of which are provided below:

Solo Exhibitions

• George Condo: The Picture Gallery, Long Museum West Bund, Shanghai (2021)
• George Condo: Confrontation, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum Berggruen (2016)
• Mental States, New Museum, New York (2011); traveled to Hayward Gallery, London and Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt (2011–2012)

Group Exhibitions

• Disorderly Conduct, Museo Jumex, Mexico City (2023)
• The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (2020)
• Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney’s Collection, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2016)
• The Infinite Mix, Hayward Gallery, London (2016)
• Forever Now: Contemporary Painting in an Atemporal World, MoMA, New York (2014–2015)
• Mapping the Studio: Artists from the François Pinault Collection, Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana, Venice (2009–2011)
• Picasso and American Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2006)

Website and Instagram

George Condo’s Instagram can be found here.

Critical Reception

George Condo’s practice has been covered in leading publications including Ocula, Interview Magazine, and The Guardian.

Ocula | 2025