Leon Golub and Nancy Spero

Sharing a living and working studio for over thirty years, the artistic dialogue of these two artists produced extraordinary bodies of politically-engaged art

Leon Golub (1922–2004) and Nancy Spero (1926–2009) each made art exploring the dark sides of human relationships, especially political power, violence, and oppression. They met in 1949 while at art school in Chicago, married, and lived in Europe for several years before settling in New York City in 1964. Their loft studio in the city became a site for working – often late through the night – and a community hub, where artists met for political discussion and activism.

Golub produced monumental paintings on unstretched canvases. They usually depict soldiers, vigilantes, and scenes of conflict and torture. Later he made darkly humorous works on paper about sex, desire and death. Spero abandoned painting in the 1960s and became known for paper scrolls covered with cut-out female figures displaying narratives of women’s history. Her work often includes fragments of poetry, literature and philosophy, addressing women’s subjugation and resistance.

Both artists used images of monsters and mythology as emblems of human urges and tensions in society. Works in this room feature wild dogs, goddesses and other allegorical figures. All of the works and materials on view are from the collection of Jon Bird, a London-based artist, writer and curator who worked closely with both artists since the 1980s, producing exhibitions and books. The items on view offer a personal glimpse into each of the artist’s practices and their personalities. They are a testament to the relationships that support artists’ creativity and political engagement.

Tate Modern
Natalie Bell Building Level 2 West

Getting Here

2 May 2022 – 6 November 2023

Free

Joel Meyerowitz, New York City, 1975 1975

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artworks in Leon Golub and Nancy Spero

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Joel Meyerowitz, New York City, 1978 1978

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artworks in Leon Golub and Nancy Spero

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Joel Meyerowitz, Bay/Sky, Provincetown, Massachusetts, 1985 1985

The works from the Cape Light series show the first time Meyerowitz used a large-format camera to make large-scale colour prints. He shot the images on the coast and in the small towns of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Hartwig House, Truro, Massachusetts is taken inside a house, looking through the narrow landing onto a screen door through which greenery is visible. Porch, Provincetown, Massachusetts is of a porch at night, alight with an orange glow. Beyond the porch there is only sky and ocean, while a single lightning-bolt strikes far out on the horizon.

Gallery label, August 2024

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artworks in Leon Golub and Nancy Spero

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Joel Meyerowitz, An NYPD rescue worker, New York City, 2001 2001

The Aftermath series shows the destruction left behind after the 9/11 attacks in Lower Manhattan, New York. The images also feature firefighters, police officers and welders working on site to clear thousands of tons of wreckage and rescue any survivors. Cranes and other heavy machinery suggest the scale of the operation. Meyerowitz saw the importance in documenting Ground Zero as an act of both bearing witness and a type of memorialisation. He was the only photographer allowed to access the site, working almost daily from September 2001 to June 2002 with three cameras (including a 4x5 camera and a 35mm camera) and a video recorder. He produced approximately 8,000 photographs, many of which have been exhibited internationally.

Gallery label, August 2024

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artworks in Leon Golub and Nancy Spero

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