Boris Lurie (1924–2008) was an American artist. In his much-discussed and controversial works, he demanded more political relevance from art. In a radical language, he criticized what he considered to be superficial art, which avoided dealing with drastic themes such as war and violence.
Boris Lurie was born in 1924 to a Jewish family in Leningrad, grew up in Riga, and with his father survived the Stutthof and Buchenwald concentration camps. His mother, grandmother, younger sister, and childhood sweetheart were murdered in 1941 in a mass shooting. These experiences left a lasting impression on Boris Lurie's life.
In 1946, he immigrated to New York. In 1959, he founded the NO!art movement with a group of artist friends set against Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art, but especially opposed to the economization of art and devoted to political issues such as racism, sexism, and consumerism.
Boris Lurie died in New York on 7 January 2008.
Boris Lurie in his studio, 1957; Boris Lurie Art Foundation, New York – Photo: Betty Holiday
Cilly Kugelmann, head curator of our core exhibition, tells the story of the postcard-sized work Entebee by Boris Lurie and explains what makes it so valuable to the JMB collection; Jewish Museum Berlin 2020
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Blog Entries on the Exhibition No Compromises!
For anyone who wants to know more about Boris Lurie...
Blog
No Compromises! The Art of Boris Lurie
A retrospective
Exhibition
26 Feb to 31 Jul 2016
No Compromises! The Art of Boris Lurie
Exhibition catalog
Publication
2016
Elio Petri – A Quiet Place In The Country
Drama / horror, Italy, 1968, 102 min
Monday Movies
4 July 2016