Contemporary Nomad: New Old

Saturday 17 August 2013

New Old

Contemporary artists nowadays experiment with traditional arts (Faiq Akhmed or Murat Palta) or refer to easily recognizable art pieces by reinventing their form/representation (Vik Muniz, Alejandra Zapata, Rauf Mammadov) or giving a new interpretation to these iconic images (Kristyna Milde, Banksy, Eugenia Gapchinska, Alex H. Parker).

Below is the compilation of works in various techniques by very different artists united under a wide name "new old".

Vik Muniz

Started as a sculptor, visual artist Vik Muniz is probably the most best known contemporary artist recreating famous imagery from art history or pop culture with everyday objects such as chocolate, pasta, puzzles, waste or some luxury ones such as diamonds or black caviar.

Olympia after Manet, Wasteland project

Atlanta and Hippomenes after Guido Reni. Wasteland project

The Birth of Venus after Boticelli. Wasteland project

Saturn Devouring His Son after Goya. Wasteland project

Narcissus after Caravaggio. Wasteland project

Medusa after Caravaggio

The Death of Marat after David. Wasteland project

One of the models who live in the Wasteland.

School of Athens after Raphael

Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte after Seurat

Mona Lisa after Leonardo Da Vinci

The Tower of Babel after Bruegel

Chad Wys

Nick van Woert

Banksy

Eugenia Gapchinska

Eugenia calls herself "Happiness Supplier #1" and indeed creates very positive art. Below are the images from Alice's Dreams book.

Alice's Dreams

Heldrik Kerstens

Dutch artist likes to experiment with "daily objects" converting them into medieval head wear.

Bubble Wrap

Lamp

Napkin

Paper Roll

Towel

Davide Quayola

A London-based visual artist, or better, architect, transforms the reality, "investigates dialogues and the unpredictable collisions, tensions and equilibriums between the real and artificial, the figurative and abstract, the old and new" (Vimeo channel).

Bence Hajdu

Another "architect" of painted reality erases people or animals leaving famous paintings abandoned and deserted.

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci

Seaport with the Embarkation of St. Ursula (1641) after Claude Lorrain

Oath of the Horatii (1784) after Jacques-Louis David

The Skating Minister (1790s) after Raeburn

Oculus in the camera degli sposi (1473) after Andrea Mantegna

Murat Palta

“A miniaturist creates his art by heeding his conscience and by obeying the principles in which he believes, fearing nothing. he pays no attention to what his enemies, the zealots and those who envy him have to say.”

― Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red

In the times that book describes, a miniaturist was assassinated because of his revolutionary very Western-like style of drawing. Nowadays we can only admire sense of humor and idea of Murat. In his graduation portfolio West (cinema) meets East (Ottoman miniatures).

Star Wars

Star Wars, Detail

Alien

Alien, Details

Goodfellas

Goodfellas, Detail

Inception

Inception, Dretail

Kill BiII

Kill BiII, Dretail

The Pulp Fiction

Scarface

Scarface, Detail

Terminator II

Terminator II, detail

Faiq Akhmed

Faiq's art is directed towards transforming traditional boundaries of Eastern tradition icon, a carpet, beyond any recognition - he distorts or pixelizes the patterns, colors them into unusual colors or even adds some cartoon-like creatures.

Carpet Equalizer, 200 x 230 cm Plastic, woolen handmade carpet 2012

Conversation, 150 X 100 sm Woolen handmade carpet 2011

Tradition in Pixels, 150 X 100 sm Woolen handmade carpet 2011

Rabbit, 150 X 100 cm Woolen handmade carpet 2011

Wim Devoye

Ah Xian

Another artist reinterpreting ancient craft is Chinese artist Ah Xian currently living in Australia who uses traditional Chinese art materials and techniques such as jade, cloisonne, bronze, porcelain and lacquer-ware to form contemporary sculptures.

Kristyna Milde

Czech artist recreates famous paintings with blond or dark hair naked Barbie dolls - an attempt to "show the similarities between stereotypical representation in the past and the present time."

The Dressed Maja After Goya, 2008. Source: Flickr

The Naked Maja After Goya, 2008. Source: Flickr

Consequences of war after Rubens, 2008. Source: Flickr

Alejandra Zapata

Mexican photographer paraphrases iconic historical images bringing them into context "so confusing and indeterminate in the present social and cultural aspect" (artist's Saatchi Online profile).

Re-production of Breakfast on the grass

Re-productrion of Gabrielle d'Estrees and one of her Sister

The Meninas

Re-production of The Last Supper

Rauf Mammadov

The Last Supper photo features models with Down's Syndrome in Moscow's Frolov Gallery

The Last Supper, Detail