THE MASTERS OF DISORDER
Now why today? There was no reason to go this this particular exhibition. Coincidence? After all the Quai Branly Museum is not exactly next door to where I live and there are other exhibitions that I want to see which are just «down the road».
On this coming Sunday I am having a small cocktail
party for my very close friends. To close the door on what has been a rather nasty year. Another word for
it would be «Disorderly» ! The exhibition is called
«Les Maitres de désordre». «Masters of disorder». Perhaps everyone has had an inexplicable experience in their lives? I had a period of them
over ten years in Australia and then when I arrived in France, the disorderly became orderly...or rather I learnt how to control disorder ... more or less.
This is what this exhibition is all about. Perhaps the first picture should be Ben Vautier’s «Pas d’art sans désordre» («no art without disorder»). I go along with that and it could be why my tastes in art are «disorderly». Much more abstract than realistic.
You have now understood that that exhibition is about shaman. All those sorcerers or other who are there to put some order back into our lives. From my point of view, they are not making a good job of it at all. The opening starts with an installation by Thomas Hirschhorn - 2005 «Outgrowth» Wars, accidents, horrors..the Swiss artist shows us a collection of disasters around globes bandaged which makes you feel there are tumors, cancers that the world is sick and in a dreadful state. It doesn’t matter where you are.
Fortunately, these superior beings, I can’t think of another description are not all malefic. Exu for instance....He has a wide range of responsibilities: the protector of travelers, deity of roads, particularly crossroads, the deity with the power over fortune and misfortune. Unfortunately also a spirit of Chaos, up to tricks and plays frequently by leading mortals to temptation and possible tribulation in the hopes that the experience will lead ultimately to their maturation. In this way he is certainly a difficult teacher, but in the end is usually found to be a good one.Why I like Exu so much is beacause of Jean-Michel Bsquiat’s work which I first saw in a retrospective at the M.A.M. a couple of years ago. I understand that kind of disorder.
I am sure that Exu is able to negotiate with the gods and make us better beings...
There are some horrible looking creatures around who are doctors or even women sorcerers who are there to alleviate illness and destruction. In fact, she is covered with layers of different oils and plants, animal grease, each one with a specific power....
A hand which can cure. Props for Chaman that help them go into a trance or protect them from the gods who could harm them when they are in a transe.
Annette Messager’s picture is not too reassuring on «illness». Wool linked to pictures of different parts of our inside. Blood and illness. And yet her devil locked in the cage, if this is what it is, could be good as well as bad.
Picasso identified with Harelquin.(Commedia dell’arte) Someone who introduced chaos into order. Playing on both sides. Two identities. Everything to amuse the crowds. A mask which hid his face. A child ? A servant of two masters....who will know who Harlequin is? But Picasso was his own master even if everything in his world around him seemed to be disorder. Chaos....Isn’t Harlequin still with us today? Another Picasso too which seemed unrelated to chaos and yet....
That blue mask blinking at me from a hole in the wall ? No name. Who was it ?
And in the last room with the contemporary artists, a Jerome Bosch, «The Ships of Fools» (1561)...A boat sailing down the Rhin filled with sick people of all kind. Was this to join the artists of today who try to give colour to disorder.
I suppose that if I survive disorder (illness or whatever) is that over the years, I too have learnt to control it. Probably few people know how I really feel when life is tough.... Perhaps a Harelquin too? But this is certainly not my new look for this door which opening for me.
Perhaps though I should say .....
On this coming Sunday I am having a small cocktail
party for my very close friends. To close the door on what has been a rather nasty year. Another word for
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| Ben Vautier 1991 |
«Les Maitres de désordre». «Masters of disorder». Perhaps everyone has had an inexplicable experience in their lives? I had a period of them
over ten years in Australia and then when I arrived in France, the disorderly became orderly...or rather I learnt how to control disorder ... more or less.
This is what this exhibition is all about. Perhaps the first picture should be Ben Vautier’s «Pas d’art sans désordre» («no art without disorder»). I go along with that and it could be why my tastes in art are «disorderly». Much more abstract than realistic.
You have now understood that that exhibition is about shaman. All those sorcerers or other who are there to put some order back into our lives. From my point of view, they are not making a good job of it at all. The opening starts with an installation by Thomas Hirschhorn - 2005 «Outgrowth» Wars, accidents, horrors..the Swiss artist shows us a collection of disasters around globes bandaged which makes you feel there are tumors, cancers that the world is sick and in a dreadful state. It doesn’t matter where you are.
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| Thoms Hirschohorn 2005 |
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| J-M Basquiat - Exu 1988 |
Fortunately, these superior beings, I can’t think of another description are not all malefic. Exu for instance....He has a wide range of responsibilities: the protector of travelers, deity of roads, particularly crossroads, the deity with the power over fortune and misfortune. Unfortunately also a spirit of Chaos, up to tricks and plays frequently by leading mortals to temptation and possible tribulation in the hopes that the experience will lead ultimately to their maturation. In this way he is certainly a difficult teacher, but in the end is usually found to be a good one.Why I like Exu so much is beacause of Jean-Michel Bsquiat’s work which I first saw in a retrospective at the M.A.M. a couple of years ago. I understand that kind of disorder.
I am sure that Exu is able to negotiate with the gods and make us better beings...
There are some horrible looking creatures around who are doctors or even women sorcerers who are there to alleviate illness and destruction. In fact, she is covered with layers of different oils and plants, animal grease, each one with a specific power....
 |
| Layers of oils and plants |
 |
| A medicine Shaman |
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| A hand to cure |
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| very protective? |
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| Messager - En Balance 1998 |
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| Annette Messager |
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| Arlequin 1927 |
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| Picasso"Faunes avec étoiles" 1957 |
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| The mask |
That blue mask blinking at me from a hole in the wall ? No name. Who was it ?
And in the last room with the contemporary artists, a Jerome Bosch, «The Ships of Fools» (1561)...A boat sailing down the Rhin filled with sick people of all kind. Was this to join the artists of today who try to give colour to disorder.
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| Bosch 1561 |
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| Arnaud Labelle Rojoux |
I suppose that if I survive disorder (illness or whatever) is that over the years, I too have learnt to control it. Probably few people know how I really feel when life is tough.... Perhaps a Harelquin too? But this is certainly not my new look for this door which opening for me.
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