Not Sacred
An exhibition commissioned by the Nathan Cummings Foundation
Barton Lidice Benes
"It is rare to see things of a dangerous and sickening nature locked to the beautiful. In Benes' work, humor and seriousness go well together, blasphemy and prayer - light playfulness with the weighty and baroque. From his Czech heritage, the artist has taken his dark humor - a classic weapon against oppression, which becomes a guarantee against sentimentality. The positive attitude about life, which the pieces obstinately induce, breathes in the work.
In his monument to Brenda Woods, Benes hangs death on the wall and at the same time he forms a memorial of harmony and criticism against formalized sympathy. The earthly versus the spiritual, the macabre permeates sacred gravity and calm beauty. The artist puts his finger on prejudices and fear."
-- Jelena Zetterstom
Brenda |
