Sunday, June 14, 2009

Response to Madonna Nude

This weeks posting comes in two parts. The first part is a response to the blog Madonna Nude, the second covers an upcoming exhibition in New york City.

In the Madonna Nude blog we are presented with three images of the pop diva Madonna in the nude. One is a painting, and the other two are photographs. In my opinion, it is a little difficult to understand what this blog is actually about. Are we meant to be looking only at the nude images and comparing them, or are we meant to be thinking about how the use of a famous person in a work of art will greatly influence the price of that work? I'm going to discuss the former rather than the latter.

If we are meant to be comparing the images, I think that only one comparison can be made; that being a somewhat distorted perception of Madonna. Two different media are being used, the painting is more of a stylized interpretation of the relationship between Madonna and Guy Ritchie, and less about the pop star herself, and the photographs depict a very young Madonna before she was a sensation. If one considers this when looking at the photographs, then this too is less about the woman and more about a stylized interpretation of Madonna.

As for the works themselves, I much prefer the painting. I think the painting is more visually interesting. In one thousand years when Madonna is unknown to popular culture this painting will carry more significance than the photographs. In this context the images could be depicting anybody, and the painting holds a narrative, while the photographs do not. This is significant because the narrative can be interpreted by many people and comparisons can be drawn between the viewer and the work.

The second part of this posting promotes an exhibition in New York City. If you live in and around New York, you should definitely check out the "9/11, city, country, memories" exhibition in Battery Park on June 20. Below is the official flier that provides more details. If you have any comments or questions about this weeks posting, place them in the comment section, and I will see you again next week.

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