The Copyst
2018
Performance.
A copyist of an Old Masters’ museum paints live a series of oil on canvas’ installation views of a contemporary art exhibition.
Collection Museo Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo – CA2M.
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A select European Old Masters’ museums continue the tradition of allowing a
few individuals to create live reproductions of their masterpieces,
originally meant for direct learning from the originals. This
performance contrasts European painting traditions with the latest
trends in contemporary art, generating an alternative documentation of
the exhibition where it is presented. In its first showing at the Museo
Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Román Blázquez, a veteran copyist from the
Prado Museum, created oil-painted exhibition views that gradually
integrated into the display. These paintings now form a growing archive.
More Info
A series of European Old Masters’ museum continue the old tradition of allowing a very limited number of individuals to access their halls to make live reproductions of some of the masterpieces. The original purpose of this action was to learn directly from the original artworks.
This performance seeks to confront the European painting tradition with contemporary art production, creating an alternative documentation of an exhibition which is generated from the copyist’s direct observation of the artworks and the space.
For its first presentation at Museo Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, I invited Román Blázquez – one of the most veteran of the authorized copyists of the Prado Museum in Madrid –, to work on a regular basis in the halls of the contemporary art center. The resultant oil-on-canvas’ copies were gradually hung on the walls on certain parts of the show, becoming part of the exhibition itself.
The performance has been enacted on three occasions, and the resultant pieces form a growing archive of painted installation views of the exhibitions the work has been presented in.
A series of European Old Masters’ museum continue the old tradition of allowing a very limited number of individuals to access their halls to make live reproductions of some of the masterpieces. The original purpose of this action was to learn directly from the original artworks.
This performance seeks to confront the European painting tradition with contemporary art production, creating an alternative documentation of an exhibition which is generated from the copyist’s direct observation of the artworks and the space.
For its first presentation at Museo Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, I invited Román Blázquez – one of the most veteran of the authorized copyists of the Prado Museum in Madrid –, to work on a regular basis in the halls of the contemporary art center. The resultant oil-on-canvas’ copies were gradually hung on the walls on certain parts of the show, becoming part of the exhibition itself.
The performance has been enacted on three occasions, and the resultant pieces form a growing archive of painted installation views of the exhibitions the work has been presented in.
Credits
General installation views and details of the exhibition Querer parecer noche, Museo Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo (Móstoles, 2018-2019).
Performer: Román Blázquez.
Images: Cristina Garrido and Roberto Ruiz.
General installation views and details of the exhibition Querer parecer noche, Museo Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo (Móstoles, 2018-2019).
Performer: Román Blázquez.
Images: Cristina Garrido and Roberto Ruiz.