statues

Style of Eye

E-mail Subscription

Receive an e-mail notification of new posts on this site:

Vimu Subscription

Style of Eye - October 2007

statues

October 10th 2007 02:20

There’s an elegance and majesty about statues that eludes other art forms; the silent stare, the brooding gaze, the deliberate pose, the triumphant stature. And yet, there is also a poignancy as well, even a melancholy.

Usually a statue commemorates a famous person’s life or an historical event. Other statues are merely an artistic statement of someone’s self-importance, while others are constructed for the sheer amusement of city park visitors. Who will ever forget the travesty of “art” that was the massive statue of Michael Jackson which traveled down the Thames on a barge to launch his greatest hits package HIStory?

So where does a statue start and where does it end? Does a giant stone or marble head warrant being called a statue? Are the crumbling torso remains of some Greek deity still a statue? Are the waxwork figures at Madam Tussauds regarded as statues?

Often the most awesome statues are those which depict a God or Goddess, simply because their immortality is recognized and cemented by the hard durability of the material in which the statue has been carved. The bigger the statue the bigger the awe, although it must be said the MJ pop-art statue provided awe of a more revolting nature.

There’s a famous surrealist film from the 30s called Un Chien Andalou made by filmmaker Luis Bunuel and artist Salvador Dali that depicts a fetish; statuephilia: sexual gratification from the kissing and fondling of a statue. In the film a woman is sucking the statue’s toe. Curious, but then, humankind is a most bizarre creature, and the inherent narcissism of creating statues (figures created in one’s own image) is not wholly surprising. Humankind pursues the anomaly of war and art; the destruction of that which is precious and the creation of that which is precious.

Along with rock wall painting and sculpture, statues are one of the oldest forms of artistic expression. Here is a selection of what tickles my statuesque fancy:

Magnificent, aren't they? All smooth and hard and mysterious and arcane and powerful and beautiful. I'd have to say my favourite of these are the Easter Island heads, the mystery behind them is fascinating. As for the man with the babies ... strange indeed.

Vote

Subscribe to this blog

Email this post to a friend

Start your own blog

[ Link ]

Posted By: Raoul Duke - Category: art

Related Posts:

Relate This Post

[ Previous - wonders ]

[ Next - sculptures ]

Comments

3 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by JohnDoe

October 10th 2007 04:42

Film & TV on DVD

Some fabulous Pictorial choices their Raoul and any post that ties in the eye popping Luis Bunuel/Salvador Dali work warrants my vote.

Comment by Lily

October 10th 2007 08:31

Ars Poetica

a wonderful diversity you put together Raoul, the Tian Tan statues i found very beautiful...

you always write very interesting articles, thank you...

~Lily

Comment by Raoul Duke

October 11th 2007 06:01

Style of Eye

Lily,
I'm very glad you found some strong and silent gratification from these majestic, both small and large, works of art.

[ Previous - wonders ]

[ Next - sculptures ]

Add A Comment

To create a fully formatted comment please click here.

CLICK HERE TO LOGIN | CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Name or Orble Tag

Home Page (optional)

Comments

Notify me of replies

Notify extra people about this comment

Is this a private comment?

List the Email Addresses or Orble Tags of the people you would like to be notified about this comment

One per line max of 30

List the Email Addresses or Orble Tags of the people you would like to be notified about this private comment thread. Only the people in this list will be able to see or reply to your comment.

One per line max of 30

Your Name
(for the email going out to the above list, it can be different to your Orble Tag)

Your Email Address

(optional)

(required for reply notification)

Submit

August 2008

3 Posts

July 2008

5 Posts

June 2008

1 Posts