MAMA BLUE & THE FREEKI MUTHAFUCKASWhat does the Venus of Willendorf have in common with Basquiat, Beuys, Dalí, Goya or... Read More
MAMA BLUE & THE FREEKI MUTHAFUCKAS
What does the Venus of Willendorf have in common with Basquiat, Beuys, Dalí, Goya or Louise Bourgeois? The voluptuous figurine carved from stone by an unknown artist 30.000 years ago is inspiration and center piece for this extraordinary mosaic which cheekily plays with art historical references. The dazzling 3,2 x 2,4 meters mural in hues of blue with sprinkles of red and gold by German artist Nils Grossien brings together iconic artworks and their makers in a kaleidoscopic extravaganza: Dalí stares at Rodin’s Thinker, Koons’ Ballon Bunny dances with Goya’s Naked Maja, Picasso’s Guernica-horse freaks out over Duchamp’s Fountain. And in the center of it all resides Venus aka Mama Blue, ancient mother of mankind, who rules supreme over this outrageous art circus.
And what does it all mean? You can read it as a provocative visual conversation about kinship, struggle, beauty and the origins of art. Eroticism also plays a role, says the artist: "Six cocks, various breasts and groins, a banana and a urinal adorned with a crown. Sex they all had in mind in whatever form. Furthermore the color blue, which connects all protagonists, should be mentioned. The color of the sky, water, the sacred, hope, longing and much more. Blue brings together the Freeki Muthafuckas.“
But you can also appreciate it as an extraordinary piece of artistic craftsmanship. A visual manifesto which claims quiet convincingly: grand ideas need precise formulation! The work is masterfully executed with Venetian glass mosaic in the traditional technique developed in ancient Roman and Byzantine times. The dazzling material comes from ORSONI whose unique workshop in Venice manufactures high quality mosaic glass since 1884. (Text: Ute Thon, Photo Fred Dott)
