Ed Paschke
(American, 1939-2004)
Menagerie, 1969
oil on canvas
signed and dated 1968 lower right
signed, titled and dated 1969 verso
48" x 40"

Provenance:
The Estate of James Lichon, Chicago, Illinois
Thence by descent through the family
Treadway Toomey Auctions, Oak Park, Illinois, 20th Century Art & Design, 04 June 2016, Lot 437

Catalog Note:
Ed Paschke's early paintings celebrate the outsiders, alternative communities and the characters less recognized in society. He places these people front and center in his works. His paintings during this time are collages rendered in paint. Paschke incorporates and manipulates the imagery he encounters in his life, reconstructing it into his own narrative. His figures largely appear representationally but tend to be distorted. He composed his images using a myriad of inspirations from vintage photographs, magazine clippings, advertisements, videos and television. Paschke's bold and expressive color palette allows him to alter the viewer's perception.

In Menagerie, a tour-de-force painting from 1969, Paschke pulled out all of the stops. From the central image of Roy Rogers punching out Al Capone to the Cleopatras, strippers and bodybuilders, Paschke executed one of his most complex paintings of 1969. This composition of a central oval, with almost symmetrical vertical rectangles, references early photographic portraiture with a pillar-like stage set surround. Skewing the balance, Paschke throws in an advertising element from the turn of the 20th century and caps the oval with a classic American eagle and coat of arms. Paschke finishes the painting with the electric neon-green phrase — "A Feature in the Biggest Menagerie in the World." — appropriated from a circus poster, which includes the title word, Menagerie.

Frame: 48 5/8"h x 40 3/4"w x 1 3/8"d
Light surface dirt. Some stretcher bar marks 3/8" out from perimeter edge at upper quarter of painting. Light scuffs visible on tooth of canvas at upper corners. Light scratch lower-left edge of 1 1/2". Light scratches/marks lower corners of 1 1/2" square. Some light translucent white accretions lower third of canvas. Patch on canvas verso, left of center. Overall good condition.