Old Masters get the Rancinan treatment
METAMORPHOSES, natures mortes et conversations opened this week for a whistle-stop show at the Palais de Tokyo, in Paris’ 16th arrondissement. If you’re a fan of David LaChapelle‘s larger-than-life still-lives (see my earlier post), don’t miss.
The event is a collaboration between French photographer, Gérard Rancinan and writer, Caroline Gaudriault.
Pietà on the runway
Caravaggio's The Entombment of Christ
Even if you don’t know them from Adam and Eve, you won’t be slow to clock their inspiration.Rancinan’s ironic mise-en-scenes take an backward glance at the works of Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Delacroix, Matisse and others.
The references, however, are pure 21st century.
Take The Last Supper, transmogrified into The Big Supper (below, detail). (Rancinan and his team crossed the Pond for his cast of size XXXL disciples…)
Eat up, you're at Uncle Sam's....
Meanwhile, in Las Meninas, Rancinan’s homage Velasquez, a grotesque troupe of tattooed and latex-clad handmaidens wait on a primped and lurid Marilyn. Er, eternal youth, anyone?
You’ll need to be quick to catch the exhibition. Metamorphoses is in Paris until 6 December 2009 – but is expected then to make NY and London appearances.
Below: Rancinan’s Raft (after Géricault’s masterpiece). See it being made here.
