R.B. Kitaj: Passion and Memory January 11, 2008

View more than 30 paintings and drawings from the personal collection of twentieth-century American artist R. B. Kitaj (1932–2007), one of the most celebrated and controversial artists of our time. Created in cooperation with Kitaj over the course of two years, this exhibition focuses on his intimate explorations of Jewish identity, history and culture.

Several of the works have never been exhibited to the public, including the compelling Passion series (1985–1986), in which Kitaj portrays the Holocaust as a Jewish passion play, casting the chimney as an icon of Jewish suffering. Visitors will also see a series of paintings that reveal Kitaj’s shifting assessment of the relationship between Arabs and Jews over several decades, as well as works that pay homage to Jewish literary and intellectual giants such as Sigmund Freud and Franz Kafka.

A number of archival materials will also be on view, including Kitaj’s correspondence with leading artists and cultural figures, philosophical musings, photographs and handwritten drafts from his two published books.

$10 General
$7 Seniors and Full-Time Students
$5 Children 2–12
Free to Skirball Members and Children under 2
Tickets available at the door.
Includes admission to all exhibitions; however, admission to Noah’s Ark and Bob Dylan’s American Journey, 1956–1966 requires timed-entry tickets.

Tuesday– Friday 12:00–5:00 p.m.; Thursdays until 9:00 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed Mondays.

Official Website: http://www.skirball.org