Ship of Fools

"Ship of Fools" 2010       $95.00
acrylic, mixed media collage 18 x 24"

Contact PHD Gallery, St. Louis, MO (314)664-6644

The ship of fools is an allegory of the 15th and 16th centuries, depicting a vessel populated by human inhabitants who are deranged, frivolous, or oblivious, passengers aboard a ship without a captain, ignorant of their own direction or destination. The Ship of Fools, a book of 112 satires criticizing the state of the Church's Christian nobility, was published in 1494 by German theologian Sebastian Brant. Inspired by a popular motif in medieval art and literature, particularly in religious satire due to a pun on the Latin word "navis" which means a boat and also the nave of a church, the Reformation movement quickly latched onto the book & Brant's like ideals, making it a huge hit. Notable of this publication were the commissioned engravings by Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. (source: Wikipedia)

I wasn't being critical of the church in making this, though I'm always thinking about art history. This one is a more personal interpretation of the allegorical tale using my accumulated vocabulary of little pictographs. I produced this canvas last summer for a showing at Urban Arts Collective in in South St. Louis along with several others done in the same style. The collaged scraps of canvas are utilized as narrative panels, illustrated in glue which dries to form a raised line. Many layers of primer & acrylic wash give the canvas a worn look I find pleasing. I've been working in this method since college, all the time refining the technique & experimenting with different colors & collage textures. They are a lot of work and easier done several at a time due to the time required for the excessive layering to dry.

See more of my available works at my WORKS AVAILABLE page at Shawart.com   :)

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