"Ruinous" Art?
In the comments, reader Lynette pointed me to this post from Diet Blog, about Florence Studios’ “Beautifully Big” collection.
If you follow the Diet Blog link, you’ll see the original David and Michaelangelo’s David side by side, which is interesting. Of course, the picture in this post is the Birth of Venus (you can see the original here.
Some of the comments over at Diet Blog:
Why’d they go and ruin all those famous art figures? I think it’s pretty disrespectful. Even the figures like “Venus” that are voluptuous anyway weren’t THAT fat. And David just looks ridiculous.
There has always been art that depicts the common people. David and Venus were meant to depict ideals. “The Grecian ideal”. These figurines are therefore pointless.
I think people will overthink these figurines to death, analyzing how they’ll affect people’s perceptions and so on. But come on, it’s just a bit of fun. If I sketch out a copy of a famous work, but put an afro on the Mona Lisa or something like that, I’m not trying to make a grand statement.
Anyway, I totally agree with you, people tend to overanalize things. Just because most of us have some extra kilos doesn’t mean that the figurine makers are making a statment about obesity. We are not the center of the world! :))
(Is that a double-chin smiley face? Awesome.) Quite frankly, I think most of the figurines are, as one commenter pointed out, a little bit “grandma chic.” But I do love the Birth of Venus one. I also find it hilarious, for some reason, that you can turn these figurines into lamps.
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Art, Fat Positive, Fatism, Humor
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I love the body, though the face leaves something to be desired for me. It looks mildly cartoon-like.
But, wow! I love the idea of this!
And the comments are priceless, of course.
:))
I am SO using that double-chinned smiley face.
Ha! Awesome!
By a strange coincidence, I was just searching the web for images by Fernando Botero, who specializes in big round bodies. He has done a number of versions of old masterpieces with fat people in the main roles- by far the most frequent image that came in my search is a fat “Mona Lisa.”
Botero’s work often has a cartoonish, spherical look, which is especially bizarre in his recent project based on Abu Ghraib photos. But however lighthearted some of the paintings might be, I don’t get the feeling they are ridiculing fat.
And I really like many of his nudes.
I think the figurines are a bit grandma chich, but they’re very fun. They are definitely not “high art” but they don’t have to be! The faces are a bit cartoonish and crude, but I love the lady in the bathtub, and “temptation”. I’d like to see their interpretation of the three graces.
The lamp version is way beyond grandma chic and into the realms of the seashell-art made by one of the aunts in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
Check out Beryl Cook, Swellanor
I liked the fat Marilyn Monroe, she looked great. And I think it’s pretty positive, I would like to see more art like this.
I think they captured fat bodies pretty well, fat faces not-so-much. Oddly enough, Bacchus is my favorite.
How come I never thought of a double-chin smiley face? That’s fantastic.
: ))
I kind of like the Venus and David ones, but I think the “grandma chic” description is right on the money. In fact, I can totally see my grandma purchasing a lamp like that.
I adore the birth of venus one but I do think the David one is a little ridiculous. Maybe it’s just because it’s a man.
But honestly, it’s art, and people shouldn’t be.. well, so uptight about it. “Ruining?” Please!
I am so swiping this and pointing knick-knack shoppers to it. Even though I’d probably send one straight to a garage sale/thrift store bin within a year (I’m just anti knick-knack), I like it. I like that it gets a reaction. It may not be intended as a political challenge, but when kitsch has the power to piss you off for more reasons than collecting dust, it achieves a level of awesome.
“There has always been art that depicts the common people. David and Venus were meant to depict ideals. “The Grecian ideal”. These figurines are therefore pointless.”
I agree with the above comment. I mean, I’m up for someone creating the “Birth of Emily” but I’m not a Greek god or anything! Pointless in the art world, maybe. But I think these figurines are fun!