A massive survey of the disquieting paintings of Austrian provocateur Gottfried Helnwein

This substantial volume is the most complete monograph to date on the work of the provocative Austrian painter, photographer, filmmaker, performer and set designer Gottfried Helnwein (born 1948). Helwein’s work―whether it be his hyperrealistic images of distressed children or his bandaged self-portraits―expresses a traumatic human condition barely suppressed by the conventions of polite society. His unflinching approach to his subject matter has earned him prominent fans and detractors alike. As Klaus Schröder, director of the Albertina Museum in Vienna puts it, “Gottfried Helnwein shakes people at their core.” Edited by art critic Demetrio Paparoni, Gottfriend Helnwein: The Epiphany of the Displaced features a preface by the actor Sean Penn, essays by Schröder and gallerist Martin Muller, and an interview with the artist conducted by experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats.