Llyn Foulkes, Renowned Los Angeles Artist, Passes Away at 91
Llyn Foulkes, a trailblazing artist and musician known for his provocative works that spanned seven decades, passed away at the age of 91 on Thursday, November 20, at his home in Los Angeles. His daughter, Jenny Foulkes, confirmed the news, highlighting that some reports had misstated the date of his passing.
Foulkes’s career was marked by an eclectic array of paintings, assemblage pieces, constructions, and music, each exploring themes of American history, cartoons, politics, and his autobiography. With a flair for dark humor and critique, his creations embodied a tactile vitality. Known for his refusal to conform to a single artistic style, he gained fame for his “Bloody Head” paintings, featuring portraits with heads appearing flayed or disfigured, often with collaged elements.
Ali Subotnick, a curator for Foulkes’s 2013 retrospective at the Hammer Museum, described him as a quintessential Los Angeles artist who satirized popular culture, critiqued the commercialization of American life, and illuminated the contradictions in national identity.
Born on November 17, 1934, in Yakima, Washington, Foulkes moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s to study at the Chouinard Art Institute. Early in his career, he exhibited at renowned venues like the Ferus Gallery in 1961 and the Pasadena Art Museum in 1962. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art first acquired his work in 1964.
His artistic journey was one of reinvention, with phases targeting icons like Mickey Mouse as symbols of corporate banality. His mixed-media relief works combined carved wood, fabric, and unique elements like a mummified cat to depict mid-century Americana’s darker undertones.
Beyond visual art, Foulkes showcased his drumming skills on “The Tonight Show” in 1974 and performed solo with his one-man band “The Machine” for many years. Known for his uncompromising vision, Foulkes often clashed with the mainstream art world, highlighting his genuine nature that polarized opinions, according to his daughter Jenny.
Despite feeling disregarded in Los Angeles, his 2013 retrospective at the Hammer Museum revived interest in his work, leading to exhibitions at prestigious galleries like David Zwirner and Gagosian. Foulkes remained an influential figure who refused to “play the game” of the art world, as remembered by colleagues and friends. Craig Krull, whose gallery hosted one of Foulkes’s last shows, lauded him as a gutsy and outspoken artist, leaving a legacy that continues to resonate in today’s tumultuous times.