Another Take On Thrift Store Paintings

Over the last two decades, Francis Alys has assembled a significant collection of nearly identical paintings and other reproductions of fourth-century Saint Fabiola, all based on a now-lost original painted in the nineteenth century by the French artist Jean-Jacques Henner. This obscure work has been assiduously copied by amateurs and professionals alike and has become a popular icon, a phenomenon that, as the artist stated, “indicated a different criterion of what a masterwork could be.” Alys’s collection, gathered from flea markets, antique shops, and private collections throughout Europe and the Americas, offers a window onto aesthetic, sociological, and theological values over the past century and more.
You can certainly see reference to L.A. artist Jim Shaw's celebrated collection of strange but earnest thrift store paintings, which made a splash nearly 20 years ago.
OK, I love thrift store paintings and saints, this show was custom made for me.
Are you kidding me? This show looks fantastic. Currently on view at LACMA.
bettershelter says: REPEAT IT!