A conversation with the iconic Jeffrey Deitch regarding an exciting 2022 exhibition at Deitch’s Los Angeles gallery that has been synthesized into a new book titled "Luncheons on the Grass," available now from Rizzoli Electa. The innovative exhibition revisited and reimagined Édouard Manet’s seminal work, Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, a painting that shocked the 1863 Parisian art scene and is often heralded as the first modern painting. Our conversation explores how Deitch convinced over thirty of today’s most acclaimed painters (including Cecily Brown, Jeff Koons and Christina Quarles) to respond to Manet's painting by creating works that dialogue with this historic piece, each bringing contemporary perspectives to themes of modernism, realism, and societal depiction. The result not only reconsiders Manet’s impact on modern art but also examines the intersections of historical reverence and contemporary creativity. Jeffrey and I are also joined for the conversation by Viola Angiolini, Director of Research and Curatorial Projects at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery.

https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847899876/

https://deitch.com/los-angeles/exhibitions/luncheon-on-the-grass