This is easily one of the most fascinating and disturbing things I've seen online: Lena Gieseke's 3D revisioning of Pablo Picasso's Guernica. Her piece offers an encounter with Picasso's depiction of Spanish Civil War atrocities that adds depth and perspective, helping us see the painting in a new way.I first heard of this piece while reading Michiko Kakutani's Texts Without Context essay, which explores the power of appropriation to enhance our understanding of art, even is it threatens the sacrosanct nature of the artist.
For me, the question is difficult to answer: Does Gieseke help us appreciate Picasso, or does she merely debase his creative effort? My instinct: any answer must first be freed from such silly dichotomies. Beyond that, I have some thinking to do.
Difficulty seeing the video? Point your browser here: http://www.lena-gieseke.com/guernica/movie.html
1 comment:
argh!
I was fortunate enough to view the painting Guernica in person last summer in Spain.
This separate work does nothing for me (or anyone else, I suspect), especially in provoking any sense of appreciation of Picasso's original work. I get no sense of the scale/size of the original painting, the brush strokes, the painterly qualities -- none of the subtleties. I find this video just a personal exercise in modernizing shapes.
(rant over; thank you.)
But it's a great question that you ask, and certainly something important to consider.
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