The pieces that I will be using that were from Minneapolis Institute of Art include:
Age of Bronze
Francois-Auguste-Rene Rodin1876-1877
Bronze
France
The Tiber MuseUnknown sculpture
2nd-1st century BCE
Marble
Rome
Head of AphroditeUnknown sculpture
3rd century BCE
Marble
Greece
Mirror (that I couldn't get to load on here, but here is the website for it http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/detail.php?v=12&id=8288
Mirror
Unknown artist
1710
Wood, gesso
England
Ceremonial Ko Dagger (another that I can't get to load on here
website: http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/detail.php?v=12&id=835
Ceremonial Ko Dagger
Unknown craftsman
1523-1028 BCE
grey-green jade with white striations and bronze with green crystal inlay
China
Imagine a room with oak paneling and small windows. There is a mirror placed on the far wall painted a gold color with two candles placed in it flickering softly. The Rodin statue Age of Bronze is facing the mirror, seeing it's reflection looking back at it. Right behind him, about a few feet away is the Ceremonial Ko Dagger. It is lying on the floor pointing away from what it lying right next to it, the Head of Aphrodite. The Head of Aphrodite is lying on it's side about a foot away from the knife, and facing the dagger. Rodin's statue is placed farther away from the head than it's distance from the dagger. Standing right behind the breakage point in the head, is The Tiber Muse. The Roman statue is placed about two feet away from the head. Throughout this whole setup, the only light would be from the two candles in the mirror.
I wanted it to symbolize how people are always innocent bystanders. That people rather worry about their problems instead of helping those who need it.
This is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great description which makes this scene easy to picture. I think it would convey your chosen message very well.
Bravo.
Sounds like a murder scene to me before you said your input. I imagined the bronze man had killed and is looking in the mirror to see his own pride and joy in the act.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting installation. I wonder if the room with oak paneling, etc, could even be one of the period rooms in the MIA. I understand your idea, that the figure is narcissistically obsessed with his own image, but I can see Jun's point that it could look like he is responsible for the death scene, rather than oblivious to it. Does this come from assumptions about gender - that it is easier to assume a male figure is violent than self-obsessed? What do you think could be done to make sure the installation was read the way you intend? How does this installation make us re-think the sculptures?
ReplyDelete