Jeff Koons, Hulk (Organ), 2004-2014, polychromed bronze and mixed media. Courtesy of private collection
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The Incredible Hulk
Forty-seven years ago, The Incredible Hulk premiered and changed popular perceptions of superheroes. It was the first superhero television show targeting adults as the main demographic, focusing more on the internal battle of David (later changed to Bruce) Banner than the standard bad guy of the week gimmicks. Superhuman feats paired with a struggle of deep loneliness created a “four-quadrant” show, one that appealed to kids, teens, adult men, and adult women. Today, the humanization of Bruce Banner continues in recent Marvel Universe movies and carries to the characters he fights alongside. His timid and nerdy background are a stark contrast from the rage-filled mass of muscles he becomes, but screenwriters have shifted from the absurdity of the extremes to finding ways for them to coexist and interact with each other. Artist Jeff Koons takes inspiration from the Hulk in his piece Hulk (Organ). The sculpture is made of cast bronze and coated with high gloss and matte paint to give it the appearance of an inflatable. The organ pipes and keys are functional but untuned, mimicking the character they’re placed upon. Learn more about the more introspective nature of the Hulk with the interview below with writer, producer, and director Kenneth Johnson, and find Hulk (Organ) in the Entry Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art.
https://www.inverse.com/culture/the-incredible-hulk-45-year-anniversary
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Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, 1818, original pink boards. Courtesy of private collection
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Frankenstein
The monster science fiction genre would not exist if it weren’t for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. She was only twenty years old when the story was published in 1818, but she had written it earlier in her teen years. The book is a product of a getaway trip with prominent writers of the time, the tail end of European Gothic literature, and the Industrial Revolution. Themes of mortality, hubris, autonomy, creation, and the definition of “Being” all play into the longevity of the novel in the cultural sphere. As technology continues to progress, these themes maintain an uncanny relevance, showing us the meditations and worries of people from centuries ago. Learn more about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with the link below, and find the only privately owned version of the original pink board books in the Entry Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art.
https://interestingliterature.com/2018/05/frankenstein-200-years-on-why-mary-shelleys-novel-remains-so-relevant/
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Ilse Sørensen Murdock and John Yau, A Dirty Little Ditty Full of Greasy Chickens, 2004, acrylic paint and cardboard packaging on canvas, courtesy of Ilse Sørensen Murdock
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Collage
From the French word “coller” or “to glue”, collaging was a term coined by cubist painters Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, who are also considered the founders of the collage movement around 1910. The form started with roots in cubism but soon expanded into other avant-garde genres such as dada, surrealism, abstract expressionism, and pop art. A key feature of collage is the sharp, contrasting shapes and images from multiple different sources and the way they interact with each other. While most collages seen today are done with printed forms such as photographs and magazines, the form extends beyond the two-dimensional and can occasionally use materials like wood and found objects. Artists Ilse Sørensen Murdock and John Yau collaborated on a series of collages using cardboard packaging and acrylic paint. The interplay of images and text creates a curious and colorful internal conversation. Learn more about collage with the link below, and find Murdock and Yau’s work in the Heiter Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art. |
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From the Archive
(VIDEO) Creative Industries Discussion: Andrew Zimmerman
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