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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

I'm sorry sir, your baby is ugly

We are fortunate to have in Our Fair City of Hartford the country's oldest public art museum, a treasure chest of masterworks by everyone from Caravaggio to Mondrian to the most recent (as in "last week") acquisition, Slightly Open Clam Shell by Georgia O'Keefe. The museum's castle-like facade, complete with battlements and leaded glass, is often festooned with enormous banners advertising the latest exhibition, usually with a close-up of one of the artworks, to entice one to come in. Or, in the case of Folkert de Jong in Watou, to totally creep one out. To wit:


Creepy, right? Good morning Mr. MeltyFace. You know what is even creepier? The sculptures are life size or larger. Enormous. 8 -10 feet tall. They are made of Styrofoam and polyurethane, materials chosen specifically for their manipulative qualities as for their significance as elements of war, impermeability and toxicity. The figures depict a David and Goliath-like representation of Spain vs The Netherlands during the Eighty Years War that began in the 16th century. I understand the use of the grotesque in art. Compelling, historical stuff, a la Picasso's Guernica. But I could not stop thinking:


Here is another one, with a great dental plan.

{kunstwerk van Folkert de Jong in Watou, (say that three times fast) originally uploaded by mjiwill}

Zombie letterpress sign from Yeehaw, found via Good Mouse, Bad Mouse

8 comments:

ticklishfromadistance said...

Wow. Looks like my old boss. And I need that sign for my house. Truly.

MrsLittleJeans said...

Hee hee, love the title!
I am glad you understand the use of ugly in art...I occasionally do. Hartford is full of wonders! Yeah to Hartford.

sas said...

so thats what happened to my ex-husband. artists model.

cheatymoon said...

LOL sas - those dudes are creeeepy

Raina Cox said...

I know art is interpretive, but c'mon.

Raina Cox said...

P.S. That was directed at the artist - not the post author or commenters.

Fifi Flowers said...

Okkkk... soooo here are the Zombies... they are quite ugly... can't imagine them next to Mr Darcy... LOL!!!

Mouse said...

Even creepier is that the last zombie looks a little bit like he's made out of icing and would be delicious.