Marked by Life - Passion in Modern Works on Paper
2nd June - 15th August 2010
The exhibition Marked by Life – Passion in Modern Works on Paper focuses on those works of graphic art of the 20th century that thematize the ups and downs, the peaks and valleys of an individual’s life, capturing, on the fringe of historical events, actual moments of a conditio humana of modernism.
In the refuge of this intimate genre, fleeting vital emotions are condensed into passionate motifs. With her siren’s song, Roy Lichtenstein’s frontwoman sounds the warning alarm of Pop culture; the strident colours of Jim Dine’s illustrations give modern-day relevance to the sufferings of Dorian Gray; Robert Mapplethorpe stages the end of free love as a sensual stigma.
In each case, the ambivalence of passion comes under critical scrutiny. Political enthusiasm can grow into polemical rage; zest for life can suddenly flip over into weariness, or an individual’s existential fear can change into death-defying courage. The exhibited selection of works is intended to reveal relational polarities, explore dimensions of understanding and, last but not least, highlight those border experiences that lie at the heart of passion.