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Joseph Kashetsky: T-Shirts and Sweatshirts, 50 Years on…

December 8, 2023April 7, 2024

Saint John’s Joseph Kashetsky (1941-1974) was an artistic genius, his career cut short by a tragic early death at the age of 33. His modern graphic creations ranged from rich and sometimes disarmingly simple abstract drawings and paintings, to lovingly-rendered pointillist landscapes, and these buoyant, colourful hand-painted T-shirts.

Kashetsky specialized in abstracts, but was well known for his versatility of mediums. In 1972, his originality drew national attention when he put on a one-man touring show of the “Painted T-shirts and Sweatshirts” which was organized by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. The fully wearable shirts featured everything from aspects of the cosmos, to geometric shapes, to representations of film stars such as Laurel and Hardy. Joseph’s brother Herzl generously donated 7 of the 26 shirts that were made 50 years ago. Now in our permanent collection, this body of work (pun intended) can now be recognized as one of the most significant achievements in Pop Art in the history of New Brunswick, and we are pleased to re-present these shirts in the exact same space as they were 50 years ago.

Curated by Leanne Carroll and organized by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

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