Alfred Kubin at neue Gallery

I discovered a new really nice little museum. Neue Gallery New york , by central park, very german, with a conditorei where they serve a very nice apfelstoedel and swartzerwaldkuche. Classy german, friendly priced. Old Jewish german couples reading Die Zeit while nipping their mozart kugeln.


Alfred Kubin is a famous obscure artist. Very dark, very Austrian,1877- 1959. I have known his work for years, without really seeing it. It's one of those artists writers and other dark artists like. I was into that kind of stuff when I was 22-25 years; 19Century, symbolism, the devilish woman. etc.
He illustrate Poe and other dark matter..
But very likely I might never have seen his work for real.
Every drawing is tiny and looks like a etching. A etching someone has been working on for weeks by candle light. In the cold.
The images are sometimes really scary and horrible.
The show is great, but my verdict is that Kubin is not a very good artist. It's interesting, but not really good. First of all, it feels very dated to me. I don't get that feeling when I look at Goya, Redon, Rops, Bellmer, Ensor (he fits in this range but in their shadow) He's very scared with using colors. He does it in a few drawings and those are very nice. But it's a typical petit maitre. Does one thing good and doesn't dare to leave that. I don't feel a madness in his work. I think I often have this problem with these dark artists. Music, literature, etc. I seldom really truly
believe it.

One artists that can be rediscovred soon, here in NY, is Unica Zurn. Hans Bellmer's wife. Very good and at the drawing centre begining next year.