Paint Made Flesh

Paint Made Flesh is a collection of paintings that suggest the physical and metaphorical properties and significance of human flesh. Taking place at The Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., this exhibition brings together more than 40 works from museums all around the world. The collection showcases renowned contemporary artists rarely seen together, such as Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, Georg Baselitz, Willem de Kooning, Alice Neel, Lucian Freud, Eric Fischl, and Julan Schnabel. It will be on view from June 20-Sep. 13, 2009.

"Paint Made Flesh generates a fresh and fascinating conversion about the powerful legacy of figure painting. The Exhibition, with it's thoughtful juxtaposition of paintings, not only reaveals the singular capacity of paint to capture the complexities of the human condition, but also broadens the scope of our collection's conversation with contemporary artists." -Dorothy Kosinski, Director of The Phillips Collection

This featured artwork entitled, "We Have to Eat" by Arnaldo Roche-Rabell caught my eye as soon as I saw it. With his intense and captivating stare, this painting certainly grabbed my curiosity. His face is perceived to be rough and scratchy, as the artist executed the image with linear lines. Yet his eyes are rendered completely smooth and left unscathed. 

The artist used a very dark background but chose yellow, orange, and white hues to create his paint made flesh. I am more than captivated with this piece of art, and without a doubt intrigues me to see more from this artist as well as more pieces from The Phillips Collection.  

Flying Fish

On March 21, 2009, artist Paola Pivi flew 84 fish by plane over the Tasman Sea as a work of art. Each flying fish was enclosed in a glass bowl and sat on a seat protected with a seat belt. The fish traveled a total of three hours until touch down in Auckland, New Zealand where they were greeted by an audience. A film of the flight and the landing will be played in Central City Park for mass consumption.

Aside from the pilot and crew members, Paola and her assistants were the only passengers that flew with the 84 fish. The work was commissioned by Auckland Art Gallery curator Natasha Conland for the New Zealand-wide One Day Sculpture series of temporary public art works. Paola Pivi gained exposure with her 2003 piece which featured a donkey floating in a small boat.

I chose this piece of performance art because it was certainly striking at first glance. It seemed like such an interesting idea, considering its play on words, "flying fish." I still haven't decided how I feel about it, however. In one aspect, I don't really see the point. Although Paola would not disclose how much this project cost her, it was reasonably inferred that it was tens of thousands of her own dollars. It's hard for me to understand why someone would spend that kind of money to fly 84 fish in a plane for three hours.

In another aspect, however, it's a very delightful image. It's very ironic. So much so, that it makes it that much more interesting. I also see it as no coincidence that she flew them over the sea. To think that fish can only survive in water, and now they're being flown in the air over the sea, is just very thought-provoking. And because of this, I think it is a successful piece because I feel like people will remember it.