Although no longer on exhibit the show of Valentin Popov's work still resounds in my memory. I found the work to be both humorous, ironic and highly skilled simultaneously. As my interest in mixed media art continues to expand I first appreciated the range of iconic materials the artist employed.
From intricate hand tooled frames appear renaissance imagery with a humorous twist. Replaced traditional portraits and other painting are traded for images of Batman and other contemporary vignettes. The show encompasses the history of Batman, Wonder Woman and other characters in iconic replicas.
The bright color and blending technique all commingle with the traditional and contemporary images in Popov's skilled hands. I also enjoyed his collage altarpieces whose strangely dark humor drew me in to look more closely at the details.
I also enjoyed how seamlessly the artist was able to add the Batman series images to old engravings. Just by changing some of the imagery a completely new narrative is created.
To learn more about this artist just click. http://www.popov.com
And enjoy some photos I took at the show last month.
From the series that chronicles the birth to death of Batman. I was intruiged with the narratives Popov creates and the detail.
One of many beautiful hand tooled frames which contribute to the overall experience of the work.
