It comes as no suprise that Pablo Picasso, who, in collaboration with Henri Sennelier in 1949, helped refine and advocate an oil pastel that could be of use for artists in their studio practice. What Sennelier was able to create were richer colors, which of course expanded the artist's palette and also expanded the oil pastels worldwide use, basically a perfect tool for artists who wanted to blend painting and drawing. Pre-dating Picasso's endorsement and exactly 100 years ago, the origin of oil pastels dates comes to focus, when in 1925, the Japanese company, Sakura, introduced a product called Cray-Pas, blending oil and wax to make a crayon suitable for artists and students. 

So now we see George Condo (cover artist, Winter 2024), to be one of the great artists of the oil pastel, the tool at the centerpiece of his two-part exhibition, ‘Pastels,’ spanning galleries at both Sprüth Magers (which will be on view through March 1, 2025) and Hauser & Wirth in New York City. Though he hates the comparison to Picasso, telling us last year, "To be honest, I was tired of people talking about Picasso and all these influences and guiding principles in my work. These kinds of misconceptions about my work could easily be deconstructed if I were to write about it myself," he occupies a similar space in that he is one of the great painters of his time, an artist of immense influence and historical perspective. 

For Condo, the oil pastel clearly helps him move on the surface of a painting, to create distortions and quick emotions in his strokes. The movement gives the viewer a sense to the surreal and often distorted figures that define his work. The medium gives him a swiftness, an improvisational style, where spontaneity plays a crucial role and has always made Condo such a idolized painter. This use of oil pastels underlines Condo's intent to convey intense emotion and movement, enriching the psychological depth and complexity of the works. Through these two shows, it feels like a refresher on his unique power, to create a massive body of work with energy and surrealist mastery. —Evan Pricco