Edward Kienholz emerged as an artist at the same time as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg in the US and was part of a generation of artists born between two World Wars.

His practice was informed by the emerging Beat Culture of the late 1950s and early 1960s in California, and was central to the development of the early Los Angeles gallery scene. In 1972 Kienholz developed a life long collaborative partnership with Nancy Reddin, who continues to make work since his death in 1994.

Kienholz sculpture takes the form of life-size environments; walk-in ‘installations’ incorporating everyday objects which critique modern society, and the political climate of the day. Compelled by a deep sense of moral justice and a provocative sense of humour, these uncompromising artworks continue to have a searing energy and pose a direct challenge to the viewer.