Reinterpreting classical art in a contemporary aesthetic frame is by no means a new concept, as it has been around for decades, yet the series curated by art director Irene Gallo from Tor.com sure is innovative. Gallo brought together several talented photographers, among whom John Mattos, Tim O’Brien, Greg Manchess, and Michael Whelan. She allowed them to essentially run wild with some of the world’s most famous works of art, among which Whistler’s Mother, Marcel Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase and Grant Wood’sAmerican Gothic. Now, the reinterpretation process was not completely free of artistic constraints, as the given theme was to incorporate visually representative elements from the geek subculture.
The end result includes elements from the Star Wars saga, DC Comics imagery, as well as works that make use of the Muppets’ visual trademarks. The series is bound to create some controversy, as postmodernism is generally want to do. Interferences between high-culture and so-called pop culture never go down completely smoothly: by blending imagery from one corner of the spectrum with elements from a more pretentious area of artistic expression, the artists involved create tension. Tension is at once creative and bound to generate feedback from audiences, but it is also conducive at conflict. We’re highly looking forward to witness a debate on these works, between the Star Wars geek freaks and the artsy snobs. Just saying.
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