The Origin of Painting

The Origin of Painting

"The Origin of Painting" is an interactive luminous graffiti, shadow wall and electromagnetic sound installation created and exhibited by art group Disinformation. The installation is titled after "The Maid of Corinth, or The Origin of Painting" depicted by the painter Joseph "Wright of Derby" in 1782 (Paul Mellon Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington). Joseph Wright depicted a theme suggested to him by the myth described in William Hayley's poem "An Essay on Painting", in which a woman sketched around the outline of the shadow cast by her departing lover in lamp light against a wall... "Inspired by love, the soft Corinthian maid, Her graceful lover's sleeping form portray'd..." (William Hayley 1778).

The resemblance of its imagery to silhouettes left by the atomic flashes at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the image of mortality that visitors see reflected in the act of separating from their fading shadows, cause "The Origin of Painting" to function as an active contemporary equivalent of traditional Vanitas painting.

Critical reaction

Sci-Fi author Jeff Noon wrote in The Independent that "people are fascinated by this work - it brings a shiver, a sudden recognition of death, as though we have seen or heard our own ghost". The Financial Times described the exhibit as "actively thrilling". "The Origin of Painting" was described as "visually stunning... daunting yet engaging" by Rachel Dybiec in The Metro newspaper. Jessica Lack wrote in The Guardian that "Disinformation combine scientific nous with poetic lyricism to create some of the most beautiful installations around". Paul Clarke wrote in The Metro describing Disinformation as "the black-ops unit of the avant garde".

References

* David Toop and Fiona Bradley "Sonic Boom" (exhibition catalogue) pp. 26-29, The Hayward Gallery 2000
* "Disinformation - The Analysis of Beauty" (exhibition catalogue) Arts Council National Touring Programme 2003

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1o-_CsoQAs "The Origin of Painting" on Yorkshire TV]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-DnH0EU0mc "The Origin of Painting" at Fabrica]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The Origin of the Work of Art — is the title of an article by German philosopher Martin Heidegger. Heidegger drafted the text between 1935 and 1937, reworking it for publication in 1950 and again in 1960. Heidegger based his article on a series of lectures he had previously… …   Wikipedia

  • The Origin of the Milky Way (Tintoretto) — Origin of the Milky Way Artist Tintoretto Year 1575 1580 Type Oil on canvas Dimensions 148 cm × 165 cm (58 in × …   Wikipedia

  • The Origin of the Feces — Studio album by Type O Negative Released …   Wikipedia

  • Origin of language — The origin of language is the emergence of language in the human species. This is a highly controversial topic, empirical evidence being so limited that many regard it as unsuitable for serious scholars. In 1866, the Linguistic Society of Paris… …   Wikipedia

  • The Vatican —     The Vatican     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Vatican     This subject will be treated under the following heads:     I. Introduction; II. Architectural History of the Vatican Palace; III. Description of the Palace; IV. Description of the… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • The Benedictine Order —     The Benedictine Order     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Benedictine Order     The Benedictine Order comprises monks living under the Rule of St. Benedict, and commonly known as black monks . The order will be considered in this article under… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Origin of Superman — The abbreviated origin of Superman as featured in All Star Superman #1 (January 2006) by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. The origin of Superman is the story that relates Superman s arrival on Earth and the beginnings of his career as a… …   Wikipedia

  • The Urantia Book —   Cover of the …   Wikipedia

  • Origin of the World — may refer to: In science: Formation and evolution of the Solar System. In religion and philosophy: On the Origin of the World (Nag Hammadi), Gnostic work dealing with creation and end times. Demiurge, a term for a creator deity responsible for… …   Wikipedia

  • The True Cross —     The True Cross     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The True Cross     (AND REPRESENTATIONS OF IT AS OBJECTS OF DEVOTION).     (1) Growth Of the Christian Cult;     (2) Catholic Doctrine on the Veneration of the Cross;     (3) Relics of the True… …   Catholic encyclopedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”