Peter Saul, Bizarro Paints a Still Life (1998). Acrylic, oil on canvas. 182.9 x 213.4 cm. Framed: 189.9 x 220.3 cm. Courtesy the artist and Venus Over Manhattan, New York.
6. Peter Saul's Bizarro Paints a Still Life (1998) at Venus Over Manhattan
Venus Over Manhatten devotes their Hong Kong booth to the revered Peter Saul, whose first solo presentation in East Asia showcases a mix of important historic works alongside more recent paintings.
Produced in 1998, Bizarro Paints a Still Life is one of the more recent works on display (aside from a 2022 acrylic on canvas) depicting Bizarro, the anti-hero and enemy of the comic hero Superman.
In a gloriously lucid palette for which he has become known, we are met with the usual melting pot of paraphernalia whirling around Saul's canvases. A giant toothbrush protrudes from a table, whose legs (with shoes) could be confused for those of Bizzaro. A mug of tea with wings, a parrot smoking a cigarette, and a book reading a book take centre stage in the surreal world of Peter Saul.
