today was free holiday mondays at lacma [sponsored by target]. so i hopped down the street, with my mum in tow, to see if there were any new exhibits showing .. it was mainly all the same stuff i've seen but i always find something new and interesting about works of art i've seen numerous times. it's also great to see new and revolving galleries. today, i did notice the matisse bronze sculptures/busts that i saw on exhibit at the MoMA in nyc a few years ago.
for the first 30 minutes, a family of 10 was on my heels. they kept making trite, ridiculous and insensitive comments on each and every single work of painting, sculpture and vase. so i cleverly ditched them somehow and was able to finally fall into one of my deep reveries, while immersed in the proper conditions to reflect upon the works.
i was very surprised to figure out that i previously skimmed over, actually, *completely missed* the francis alys exhibit of fabiola portraits in one of the galleries in the ahmanson building. the exhibit has been on display since september of 2008 .. the last time i went falls within september '08 and today, so i don't know how i could have missed it!
the entire gallery [all 3 walls and partial 4th wall] is lined from chair rail all the way up to the rafters with portraits of fabiola. the original 'prototype' painting of fabiola dates from the 19th century and has been lost FOREVER. almost every reproduction of fabiola's portrait [and there are thousands] are based on this prototype. fabiola, the patron saint of nurses, is the icononic christian saint whose portraits are always depicted with her facing left and wearing a crimson veil.
on first entrance into the gallery, all of the portraits seem similar - a dazzling array of red veils upon a sea of delicately formed faces of a woman. on a closer second look, you will notice that *ALL* of the portraits are in fact, different! all of the portraits are part of one collection but they individually differ in depiction of fabiola. somehow, i found it hard *not* to think that one person was responsible for all of the works on display. a unifying element in this collection is the implied community of discourse amongst the disparate artisists presented in this collection. it should be noted that 'the artist,' francis alys, is not responsible for a single one of these portraits. he is simply the master of composition. with this collection he has expertly crafted a gathering of same and different, all based on one subject matter. there is an emphasis on unknown artisans, and all of the pieces are hand-made. francis alys demonstrates a preference for the replica in favor of the original. and according to the museum literature on the collection, the founding precept for the collection is the idea of the 'copy.' another important issue that is brought up through this exhibit is the idea of the chase after that elusive prototype, lost among a sea of myriad copies and approximations.
multiples of the same but different things, in the same color scheme. definitely leaves a lasting impression!
for the first 30 minutes, a family of 10 was on my heels. they kept making trite, ridiculous and insensitive comments on each and every single work of painting, sculpture and vase. so i cleverly ditched them somehow and was able to finally fall into one of my deep reveries, while immersed in the proper conditions to reflect upon the works.
i was very surprised to figure out that i previously skimmed over, actually, *completely missed* the francis alys exhibit of fabiola portraits in one of the galleries in the ahmanson building. the exhibit has been on display since september of 2008 .. the last time i went falls within september '08 and today, so i don't know how i could have missed it!
the entire gallery [all 3 walls and partial 4th wall] is lined from chair rail all the way up to the rafters with portraits of fabiola. the original 'prototype' painting of fabiola dates from the 19th century and has been lost FOREVER. almost every reproduction of fabiola's portrait [and there are thousands] are based on this prototype. fabiola, the patron saint of nurses, is the icononic christian saint whose portraits are always depicted with her facing left and wearing a crimson veil.
on first entrance into the gallery, all of the portraits seem similar - a dazzling array of red veils upon a sea of delicately formed faces of a woman. on a closer second look, you will notice that *ALL* of the portraits are in fact, different! all of the portraits are part of one collection but they individually differ in depiction of fabiola. somehow, i found it hard *not* to think that one person was responsible for all of the works on display. a unifying element in this collection is the implied community of discourse amongst the disparate artisists presented in this collection. it should be noted that 'the artist,' francis alys, is not responsible for a single one of these portraits. he is simply the master of composition. with this collection he has expertly crafted a gathering of same and different, all based on one subject matter. there is an emphasis on unknown artisans, and all of the pieces are hand-made. francis alys demonstrates a preference for the replica in favor of the original. and according to the museum literature on the collection, the founding precept for the collection is the idea of the 'copy.' another important issue that is brought up through this exhibit is the idea of the chase after that elusive prototype, lost among a sea of myriad copies and approximations.
multiples of the same but different things, in the same color scheme. definitely leaves a lasting impression!
Posts
amazing. what a stunning exhibit.
ReplyDeleteamazing, what a stunning exhibit.
ReplyDelete