Edward Kienholz
American, b. 1927 - 1994
The Illegal Operation, 1962. Powered device, Polyester resin, pigment, shopping cart, wooden stool, concrete, lamp, fabric, basin, metal pots, blanket, hooked rug, and medical equipment, 59 x 48 x 54 in (149.86 x 121.92 x 137.16 cm)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Long associated with the assemblage movement that distinguished Southern California art of the 1960s, Edward Kienholz created works that incorporate social and political commentary. Often shocking in their realism, these sculptures are scathing narratives that confront social hypocrisy.
With The Illegal Operation, the artist addresses the controversy over abortion. Created almost a decade before the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion, the piece is rooted in Kienholz’s personal experience with his then wife, who underwent the procedure when it was still illegal.