The
earliest depiction of the Madonna and Child is said to be found in
the Catacomb of Priscilla, Rome. This wall painting shows a seated
Madonna suckling her Child, who turns his head to focus on the
audience.
The pictorial or sculptural representation of Madonna and Child is
one of, if not the most, interpreted subject in Christian art;
especially in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
Thousands
of years later the artistic likeness has evolved into interpretations
that remain traditional to the Christian faith, as well as,
depictions that push the boundaries of both the visual and the
narrative meaning of Madonna and Child. Mother earth and her many
children, the real relationship between mother and son or parent and
child and the more traditional depiction, all permeate the artistic
interpretations of today's artist. Christians, Jews, Atheists and
many more find a reason and comfort in depicting this most iconic of
Christian Art. To some it may seem sacrilegious but many people can
relate to the iconic imagery of Madonna and Child, even in a secular
way.
The
beauty of this exhibition, Madonna
and Child: Interpreted,
is that it represents a wide visual and emotional spectrum of
artistic representation and translation of this iconic subject. In
1997 I created my own photographic interpretation of Madonna and
Child; in 2009 I saw an interpretation by artist Travis Reichardt and
knew I had to have it to display next to my depiction. This got me
thinking about the interest of a Madonna
and Child: Interpreted
themed exhibition. Thirty two artists, thirty two interpretations, an
exhibition was born.
Along with this exhibition is a catalog which includes three origin essays interpreting the subject of Madonna & Child by writers Mary Dally-Muenzmaier, David Press and Michelle PG Richardson. Proceeds from the sale of the catalog will go to the Grand Avenue Club in Milwaukee. The catalog will be on sale at the opening of this exhibition, Friday, October 21 from 5-10pm at Soup's On/Gallery H20, Milwaukee and on-line at createspace dot com.
