Art: Wanting to Tell the Truth

His art tells stories of mutilation and decay. Human and animal forms writhe in agony, ravaged, burning, sometimes headless creatures caught, on canvas and in sculpture, in their final tortured moments. No artist since Goya has been more preoccupied with the portrayal of death than Rico Lebrun. To him, the exploration of mortality is a means of confrontation, and his expressions of "the fright of human flesh" are an attempt to come to terms with the fate of man. And these days, Lebrun is engaged in a private confrontation: at 63, he is suffering from cancer.

Lying on a steel-frame hospital bed...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!