Martin Wittfooth "The Passions"
Lyons Wier Gallery
This event has ended.
The Passions, Martin Wittfooth's first solo show in New York, is a contemporary exploration of sainthood, martyrdom, and religiosity that still dominates the ideological landscape of the modern world, and displays the prerequisite acts most often performed to attain such states of veneration such as violence, self-sacrifice, and suffering.
In Western philosophy, "The Passions" refer to strong biologically driven emotional states that seduce one away from reason. Yet the term's origin is to be found in the Latin word, "passio", which means, simply, "suffering". Consequently, the term is connected to the most famous act of martyrdom: the crucifixion of Christ.
Devotional paintings and sculptures from the last millennia have presented us with multitudes of examples in which "The Passions", in both their original and more carnal manifestations, make simultaneous appearances. Wittfooth found ideas and inspiration for The Passions in devotional artwork from different parts and eras in Europe, most notably the 17th & 18th century Flemish masters, from various versions of the Pieta and the sculptures of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). Wittfooth successfully emulates the iconography of old but his meticulous paintings are laced with symbolism and allusions to contemporary themes, issues, and fears. The artist states, "a reflection on such beliefs as the Rapture or Islamic jihad will compel one to admit that this archaic combination is yet alive and well in our modern age. By exploring the double-meaning of intellectual desertion and fatal suffering still upheld and glorified by faith, The Passions offers a criticism of blind, destructive piety."
Media
Schedule
from October 13, 2011 to November 12, 2011
Opening Reception on 2011-10-13 from 18:00 to 20:00