Two Birds Sold for a Kiss
Colette Calascione
Oil on Wood, 1995
A few days ago, a friend complained to me that mythological and literary references have slipped out of mainstream culture. I think it’s often true of current art as well – historical or mythological motifs are shunned as stodgy, stale or a tad pretentious (oh no!). If so, someone didn’t tell Colette Calascione. Her portraiture ranges from vibrant pin-up interpretations of Leda and Persephone, to surreal reimaginings of old photographs and the Old Masters. A strong current of Victorian-style naturalism and the theme of gender identity unify her recent works.
Colette Calascione is represented by the Nancy Hoffman Gallery.
Actually, I think the references are plentiful, particularly in the work of younger artists. What’s missing is an understanding of their significance or provenance. A unicorn is a unicorn these days, more akin to My Little Pony than the fully freighted, complex creation it once represented, and minotaurs, gorgons and sirens are used once removed, as if the artist is making an allegory of an allegory. Not that this makes too much sense, but I’m sure you get the idea…
I think the artists know the visual motifs/symbols, but haven’t been told of the meaning.
That was beautifully stated – and much more accurate than my somewhat flippant comment in the post! When the fractured visual bits of a myth fall completely out of context, they lose their evocative power. Which isn’t to say we all must make art about the Greeks, just that it helps to know what history we’re invoking. I went to visit the Unicorn tapestries again this fall and it was abundantly obvious that most people in the room had no idea what they were about, besides a pretty unicorn sitting in some flowers. It makes me sad that we’re losing the historical and cultural traditions behind some very powerful imagery.
I’m also realizing that this comment box is very annoying to type a long response in. I have to dig out my css and hope I can fix that.