Mona Lisa Blog 2 - RCBz Full set of Cards from the Rack PLUS!

[cheryl penn]

RCBz has been a sort of Custodian of Mona, since I started the Mona Lisa mail art call.  He submitted Medi-Alert Mona and then the Not the Dulwhich Gallery image where he had digitally assembled all the  Mona Lisa’s off my blog. ( http://cherylpenn.com/wpb ).  As every good gallery should have, RCBz created a card rack. The Cards From the Rack series were created by RCBz from the works that had not fitted on the gallery walls.  R has sent me the whole series, BEAUTIFULLY printed in both a postcard format and a high gloss A4 version.  The A4 version carries the titles RCBz has given the new digital images.  As these have been blogged intermittently on iuoma before, I know you may have seen them, BUT as a series they are fantastic! 

 

First off, RCBz quoting Marie Wintzer  (Japan) – Zeuxis infoming the Maidens of Croton that he is unable to replicate the “Mona Lisa” look.  Zeuxis, under the influence of Apollodorus made great use of light and shadow, but, well even he was unable to replicate the tinfoil look...  (Reworking of Zeuxis et les Filles de Crotone - François-André Vincent, 1789).

And in complete contrast, Torma Cauli (Budapest) placed his Mona as Budapest Street Art. RCBz perfectly situated her – Magyar Motor Cycle Monthly’s March Pin-Up: Mona Lisa.

ARAC (USA) sent RCBz this Mona Lisa – Stolen – by Shepherd Fairey (?) – RCBz takes us to the heist van with Give a little now, Get a little later – where art only exists if faireys are arrested – what’s this now – 15 arrests?  I think Fairey would LOVE to get his hands on The Scream.Alicia Starr has sent in many very evocative images of Mona Lisa as representations of ‘every woman’.  This interpretation by RCBz was a real side-swipe entry to me – it certainly answers a few questions on how those gals MAINTAIN! The secret? They have this place they go to Where Supermodels renew their mojo..

Let Mona Lisa Light Up your Life (with Nancy Bell Scott) – she sits alone, nails freshly painted – she can still smell the polish over the smoke, waiting, for someone who may not come.  But Mona keeps her company.  The Road of Excess leads to the Hallway of Unfulfillable Expectations  (quoting ViZma Bruns) - I suppose the passageways and roads of unfulfilled expectation  are the halls of frustration. Places of mourning filled with discouraged men’s bones.

Janine Weiss (Switzerland) broke Mona into an intricate puzzle.  The REAL question on RCBz’s mind – who knows how many feet she had? 3 Mules for Mona...  Girls Night Out (quoting TICTAC) utilizes TICTAC's Sweety Pea Mona Lisa rather than her Mona Winehouse stamps.  I KNOW RCBz is using some characters from an animated cartoon/movie - I just don't DO those so I dont know who they are - HELP!! 

This is a new one - based on my series of images from the series The Authentic Massacre of the Innocent Image

Always Maintain an even strain. RCBz wrote of this “her neighbor is a debauchee, her daughter is in flagranté, sharks ascend her staircase, 

her tea arrives from China one cup at a time, and yet, Mona maintains an even strain..."  Well, I can wish!!

And last but not least, RCBz sent me two further Mona Lisa Images – Mona Lisa in Samurai dress and  the same image with a facial change.  This leads to another whole chain of thought about the juxtaposition of east and west and the influence of costume and aesthetic style. Perhaps further – how far can a portrait be altered until it no longer resembles  the  original AT ALL yet is still recognizable as being inspired by – in this case, Leonardo’s Mona Lisa.   This was a fantastic haul.  MANY thanks RCBz – good to have you on-side! 

I have started a new blog for the Mona Lisa collection as the other was becoming 'cumbersome' with all the fantastic entries - so - WECOME to the new documentation  :-).  

From ARAC - my first organic Mona Lisa - well, its Marsha Lisa and she has Moss hair. Not Kate Moss, Mona Moss. Hence Marsha Lisa - get my drift?  I must say, the 'do' suits her :-)!

From Marina Salmaso - I don't know if Marina belongs to iuoma, but she has taken up the debate of authenticity - Prado or Louvre?? Or both?  I don't know, I'm not convinced they're the same woman.  What thinkest thou???

From Michalis Kotsaris (Greece) - very pleased to see Michalis in my mail again!

From Judy Skolnick (USA) - future Mona Lisa's? Judy juxtaposed RCBz's image of an older Mona Lisa in the gallery with photographs of young girls taken in her travels.

From Janine Weiss (Switzerland) - Mona Lisa has been a puzzle for generations. Janine's Mona Lisa arrived in its own designer envelope:

The artwork came with this note that said Janine was trying to make a "funny" Mona Lisa - BUT she has too much respect for Leonardo da Vinci - Janine YES - OF COURSE I love it!  

From Torma Cauli (Budapest) "Street art Mona, Budapest"

From Dean Marks (Paris) - Self Portrait with Mona Lisa Questions about a Certain CIS Skull, Real Men, Drag and Tofu...

Well, I'm guessing Carina VISITED the Mona Lisa here?

Alicia Leonardo Starr (USA)

I see these images and think that there is great value in persevering with one particular idea - AND seeing how far a medium/technique can take one in terms of executing an idea.  Alicia' s work on Mona has (to me) become a discourse on 'every woman' - rather than the actual image.  We perceive The Woman as Enigma, Primitive, Sister, and individual who is part of a greater community.  

Tribal

Sister Mary Mona Louise

The Hive Mentality, but the individual - Let me Be.

[cheryl penn]

Having seen both of these before I'm CHUFFED you posted them here :-) - Thats a GREAT piece Arac - and RCBz's re-interpretation is FAB! I guess the 'heister' is NOT standing on The Scream for nothing! Thanks ViZma - always good when people comment.  Hello Katerina -  a catalogue would be great but LUDICROUSLY expensive here with a  minimum of 2000 copies to make it viable.... Have a good weekend everyone :-) XX

[vizma bruns]

These are all greeeeat!! And Arac's postings, HA! Free Shepard Fairey, too cool. And the Banksy and standing on the Munch!! My detective powers tell me that's RCBz...but there's no cabbage!

Love the Mona blogs, Cheryl. Always look forward to the latest.

[Arac]

Shortly after being artnapped this photo sent from an undisclosed location, looks like Mona is being held and used as a bargaining chip. Their message...Free Shepard Fairey or else!

[Arac]

First she was stolen

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

These are fantastic! It would be FAB to have a catalog of all printed for the exhibit and on sale for usins :-)

[cheryl penn]

Alicia - good to  see you here - any possibility they're not done back to back??? Or are you pairing in particular? I didn't think of that :-) X

[Alicia Starr]

Torma, your Mona is so Mona and contemporary. Does she do Mail Art?

And Cheryl, you nailed it. I think she does represent a community of women. A few more waiting in the wings:--)

[cheryl penn]

I imagine it would be an ENORMOUS hoo-haa but, these should be published as a collection.  They're going on exhibition as a collection, but - MAN! They're a great set of works :-) X

[cheryl penn]

o - a copy will do :-))!

[Marie Wintzer]

It's like Mona Lisa, Season 2 :-)) and it keeps getting better and better. Today I received a Mona Lisa traveling icon from Agnes Duflanc-Lehman. She should have sent it to you!