Llyn Foulkes, Pig, 1963 - PM © PG
Llyn Foulkes’s Pig was made during the very first years of his career, in 1963. During this period Foulkes developed a new technique of painting cows, pigs and rocks in a very realistic way. Known as the ‘rag’ technique, because he used a piece of fabric, he lifts the paint from the canvas until he obtains an effect reminiscent of used jeans or human flesh. Pig looks like a postcard, but to whom is it addressed? At the bottom right are the words: ‘This painting is dedicated to the Americans’. The work’s macabre and humorous meaning is strong and clear: Foulkes is commenting on the greed of certain aspects of American culture, which he holds in true contempt.