A Painter of Darkness: 2leon Golub and His Times

It wasn't until the 1980s that painter Leon Golub, born in Chicago in 1921, achieved fame with his vigorous pictures of death squads, torturers, student riots and mercenaries. As an artist unafraid to tackle political themes, to criticize U.S. policies at home and abroad, Golub merits attention. Regrettably, he is not well served by this pretentious, verbose critique-cum-personality profile. Marzorati, an editor of Harper's , treats his own gradual discovery of Golub's art and life as a central theme, as well as the book's organizing principle; the device distracts from his occasional insights. He places Golub in a continuum of ``liberal artists'' from Goya onward who confront cruelty. A running interview with Golub is the book's saving grace. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Apr.)