‘Blessed Art Thou’
Angelina Jolie as the “Hail Mary”?? From artist Kate Kretz‘ blog:
This painting addresses the celebrity worship cycle. The title, “Blessed Art Thou”, is taken from a line in the Catholic prayer “Hail Mary”: “…blessed art thou among women”. Our culture is deifying celebrities, but in the bible, it is the meek who are blessed, so the title presents a question for the viewer to ponder.
I chose a setting where the cycle begins: psychologically oppressive environments like this one are one of the feeding sources for the consumer, hungry for “information” about the celebrity’s private life. I am interested in the psychological ramifications of celebrity worship, particularly as they relate to class.
Angelina Jolie was chosen as the subject because of her unavoidable presence in the media, the world-wide anticipation of her child, her “unattainable” beauty and the good that she is doing in the world through her example, which adds another layer to the already complicated questions surrounding her status.
The “Virgin” and Zahara figures are loosely based on a Van Dyck Virgin painting, and the Maddox figure’s pose is borrowed from a Raphael painting.
All I have to say is… eh.
January 3rd, 2007 at 12:50 pm
it’s awful
January 3rd, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Gag!
January 4th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
You scary me…..uuuuuuuuuu
January 6th, 2007 at 6:56 am
If Maddox where not completely exposed it would be better. He’s a little boy and if I were his mom the full exposure would make me mad. Maybe Angelina will purchase the painting. It would be interesting to know what she thinks of it. I think the perspective is slightly off in Angelina’s arms and torso making the work not so appealing but the idea is good and the lighting around her head is good. If an artist is going to do something other than impressionist work they had better be very good at perspective. This artist needs practice I’ve seem much better work than this. She is not perfectionist enough. To me the work is incomplete and full of errors.
January 6th, 2007 at 9:33 am
Stop hating its a great painting and there is no such thing as perfect art that is why its art…big ups to the artist
February 5th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
I think it is a very beauitful picture.I also could have done without the exposer, but the artist has really got alot of thought and work into this painting. I would hang this one on my wall!