Combining images in a single work of art isn’t new in the history of art. Centuries before collage assisted the subversive spatial contrivances of modernism, images were deliberately placed beside one another in early Renaissance altarpieces. Within fabulous ornamental architectonic frameworks, dynamic correspondences between pictures argued the pious poetry of doctrine. Normally, there’s a central iconic image of the Virgin who presides majestically; she’s attended by saints to the side and by smaller narrative pictures beneath (the predelle) which elaborated the history or significance of the Mother of Christ.… Continued
Compellingly cute and enchanting, the clothes of a baby embody the innocence of childhood, the magic of growth, the miracle of physical development and burgeoning awareness. Compared to adult clothing, the clothes of a baby are easily exoticized, for they reflect the ‘clean slate’ of infant psychology, a primitive condition of having neither class- nor race-consciousness and seeming therefore an ideal site for projecting bourgeois fantasies of primal desire at its prettiest, an unattainable earthiness in a condition of exquisite charm, a parcelling of fundamental human urges in an ideal phase of convenient powerlessness.… Continued
The sensuality of children is integral to parental fondness. The bond between mother and child is physical; and most of the psychological responses and affections are expressed in a physical way.
In art, however, there are well-grounded taboos against recognizing this essential economy. Centuries of jealous puritanical mores-akin to the suppression of all aspects of childhood-have discouraged the artistic exploration of the sensual delight of children and the enjoyment of their own bodies.… Continued
By Adrian Martin
Searching for Marilyn: the very title suggests not merely that Marilyn Monroe is now gone, but that she was never really there to begin with. Pop mythology has enshrined her as that poor, unfortunate woman stranded between two identities: Norma Jean and Marilyn, the real person and the fabricated Hollywood icon, the flickering candle and the imperishable myth.… Continued