The art of the grotesque has staying power, as RedLine development director Geoffrey Shamos, a scholar of Renaissance art from northern Europe, and local contemporary artist Donald Fodness, who has an affinity for the style in modern times, will both tell you. In the present, the genre in all its incarnations — ugly, lowbrow, funny, satirical, weirdly beautiful — remains compelling because it both terrifies and enthralls us. As co-curators of Jokes of Nature, a highly varied group show that blends works from local and national artists, Shamos and Fodness mine the paradox of the grotesque. Here’s a preview of the show, which opens at RedLine on Friday, September 4.
Jokes of Nature opens Friday, September 4 with a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. at RedLine, and runs through October 25; for more information, visit Redline online.
