Artwork Details
Artist
Creation Date
Materials
Object Types
Dimensions
16 x 16 x 5/8 in.
Accession Number
Credit Line
Gift of Ann M. Stack, acquired through Art for Today 2002, an exhibition organized by the Contemporary Art Society
Copyright
Collection
Color Palette
Provenance
Ann M. and Chris Stack, Indianapolis, Indiana; given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 2001.
Gallery Labels
John Currin is one of the most highly original figural painters working today. His figures are inspired by a wide range of sources, from Old Master paintings to Norman Rockwell, often underpinned by a sense of humor rather than seriousness. Blond Angel depicts an idealized woman who is also somewhat unsettling, an arresting combination calculated to draw the viewer into a prolonged contemplation of her distinctive face.
This work by John Currin depicts a portrait of a young woman, who we can assume from the title to be an angel. Her cherubic features and innocent expression, coupled with the Currin’s softened color palette and paint application, recalls religious paintings made during the Renaissance.
One of the most original figurative painters working today, Currin takes inspiration from a variety of sources, ranging from Old Masters to Norman Rockwell and 1950s women’s magazine advertisements. Mixing together references from high and low culture, a sense of humor underpins his works. The results are often perverse, as with
Blond Angel, whose subtle and ambiguously sexualized portrait appears unsettling, despite her angelic qualities.More from the Collection
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