Famous for his depictions of modernist icons such as the Brooklyn Bridge, the Italian-born Joseph Stella immigrated to New York in 1896. There, he produced Cubo-Futurist compositions of the city that captured the tempo and dynamism of urban life. In later years, however, Stella returned to Italy and focused increasingly on religious themes. In The Virgin (1926) the Virgin Mary appears against a dense array of fruits and flowers — common symbols of fertility — with a view of the Bay of Naples in he background. Reinterpreting Italian Renaissance altarpieces through a brightly saturated palette and bold modeling of form, Stella’s Madonna embodies the early twentieth-century interest in region and spirituality.
OK, so what exactly are we looking at here? What initially appears as a fairly standard-issue Virgin Mary desktop statue is revealed, on closer inspection, to be a mash up of the holy mother and a Malibu Barbie (check out the sunglasses propped casually on her head, for your first clue).
The statue, by UK-based artist Heath Kane, is based on a print entitled In Brands We Trust, originally created in June of 2016 in association with Jealous Gallery of London. The idea for the print was to create a mock idol by galvanizing a Malibu Barbie figure with the Virgin Mary.
Says Kane: In Brands We Trust is designed to look on the surface like a classic piece of pop art – juxtaposing Barbie’s face with an image of the Virgin Mary. But the light facade masks a deeper question about consumerism. Whereas Pop Art fetishized consumerism, In Brands We Trust challenges it. In March 2016 two people were shot and seriously injured in America when Nike released a new version of its Air Jordan 2 Retro shoes. In Brands We Trust ponders the question ‘have brands become our new religion?’ And if so are they encouraging division and extremism? Brands have such a profound impact on our daily lives it’s raises the question if religious faith can compete.
Yellow Tartan Punk-Inspired Outfits by John Paul Gaultier (All Photos By Gail)
These fabulous photos of High Fashion creations come from the Punk CanCan Gallery at the Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibit on now through February 23rd, 2014 at the Brooklyn Museum. I visited two weeks ago and was completely blown away by how imaginative and fun this multi-gallery exhibit is. It is a must see for all lovers of art and fashion.
Punk CanCan showcases Gaultier’s blended vision of Parisian Classicism with London Punk.
Fabrics and materials range from leather and vinyl/plastic to denim and metal or beaded accents.
This image of the Virgin Mary is the detail from the front panel of a long skirt.
Beaded Skull Detail from the back of a jacket.
This mind-boggling chiffon camouflage dress required 312 hours to make and was worn by Sarah Jessica Parker to the 2000 MTV Awards.
In the center of the Punk Cancan gallery, an automated Runway mimicking a Catwalk rotates mannequins in a circle around the platform. This makes it easy to just stand in one place to get the photos you want, allowing time, of course, for intruding heads and bodies to step out of the frame!
One can be seen in the above photo lifting a gigantic cancan skirt to reveal a kicking leg motif on the lining. Pretty clever!
Eiffel Tower Dress!
The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk is on Exhibit Through February 23rd, 2014 at the Brooklyn Museum, Located at 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York 11238-6052 (Take the 2 or 3 Trains to Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum). The Exhibit is in the Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing and Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery on the 5th Floor. Admission to the Exhibit is $15 and is separate from General Admission to the Museum. Students with ID and Corporate Members Pay $10. Members see Gaultier for free. On-site ticket sales end at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and 9:00 PM on Thursday. Hours are Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Thursday: 11:00 AM –10:00 PM, Friday – Sunday: 11:00 AM– 6:00 PM.
