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Friday, August 1, 2014

Friday Artfest: Kabaret Zielonego Balonika by Kazimierz Sichulski

Kabaret Zielonego Balonika (1908) by Kazimierz Sichulski
I discovered this magnificent painting by Kazimierz Sichulski this week and couldn't get over how beautiful it was. Titled Kabaret Zielonego Balonika, or the Green Balloon Cabaret, was created in celebration of a cabaret that was targeted only for the cultural elite. As you can imagine by eliminating the openness that came with most performances the cabaret was quickly subject to all manner of dark rumors. 

Those who couldn't get into a performance of this play whispered that you could see everything from orgies to the most perverse style of performance you could imagine. With such rumors circling about the performance it was only natural that it's advocates would soon begin releasing works that celebrated the rumor far more than the fact. Songs, poems, essays, plays, and even paintings that presented a hedonistic explosion of creativity began showing up throughout the artistic community of the time. This fantastic painting with it's devils and debautchery is but one of the many - though it does happen to be one of my favorites.

What about you?

5 comments:

  1. Not to tip my hat as an art nerd, but I really enjoy that piece. The use of yellow in the negative blue space moves my eye from upper left pulling me down through the debauchery.
    the devil may be leading the revelers up towards the climax of their party, but the viewer is puled down into the Frey, part of the mob.
    IT's great.
    Thank you for sharing it.

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    1. "Not to tip my hat as an art nerd . . ."

      Tip away Holmes! I certainly am! :)

      That said this is definitely one of the pieces that I want to see in real life now. Over the years I've been fortunate enough to see a lot of my favorite pieces in museums and the difference between a computerized image, a photograph, a print, and the real thing are beyond measure.

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    2. Nod I agree, I think allot of works need to be appreciated in the real world because of scope.
      A great example is The Jackson Pollock's installed at MOMA in NYC. In a book they looks like splattered paint, however when you see "One, Number 31" up close at something like 9 foot by 17 and a half feet, the scope makes the piece becomes mind blowing.
      Also brush strokes and other techniques just never come a crossed right on the web.
      I'm digressing...
      My wife and I are going to Italy specifically Lucca and Florence latter this year, I'm totally going to see as much Art as I have time for, for exactly the reasons you bring up.

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    3. If you can swing it you should totally take a train ride up to the Louvre. I think it's a couple of hours by train, but it would really be worth it. The David's ankles are cracking and it may topple within the next few years. Best go see it before it falls.

      :(

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