About

Themes of Manesse’s 60 years of work ebbed and flowed over time but he always returned to explore man’s darker sides; depicting many aspects of our society that ring true today, more so perhaps than when the works were created. Manesse’s works invoke feelings and thoughts that might not always be uplifting but are endlessly provoking.

“The artist could remain silent witness to the negative behavior of his time, or he could protest.  …man’s weaknesses had to be exposed. The truth had to be shown even if it resulted in visual images that produced feelings of fear or disgust. Should not art serve as a catalyst for the mind, stimulating the individual to question and appreciate?”  --Ira Manesse, 1970