The Couple 1971

Richard Lindner painted ‘The Couple,’ using oil on canvas in his signature style, sometime in the 20th century. Lindner’s application of paint is flat and graphic, almost like commercial printing. The colors are bold, delineated by hard edges, and seem to vibrate against one another, resulting in an unsettling effect, appropriate to the subject of alienation. It's as if the subjects were built from machine-made modules, like the streamlined bodies of automobiles. Lindner's training in commercial art and design, with its emphasis on bold graphics and simplified forms, undoubtedly influenced his distinctive painting style. The almost mechanical precision with which he rendered his figures evokes a sense of detachment and artifice. The artist presents a critical commentary on the increasing mechanization and alienation of modern life, which has crept into our personal lives. Lindner challenges conventional notions of beauty and aesthetics, inviting us to consider the complex relationship between art, industry, and consumer culture.