Arnold Mesches: Layers of Observation and Political Engagement Arnold Mesches (August 11, 1923 – November 5, 2016) was an American visual artist whose distinctive approach to painting—characterized by densely layered collages incorporating FBI files, newspaper clippings, magazine cutouts, photographs, and handwritten scripts—established him as a singular voice in mid-century American art. Born in the Bronx, New York, Mesches’s formative years were spent in Buffalo, where he developed an early fascination with visual culture and honed his artistic sensibilities. Moving to Los Angeles in 1943…