Occult Spaces

April 2, 2015 8:49 AM

José Manuel Ballester removes the people from classical paintings, turning da Vinci's Last Supper into a still life, Goya's Third of May into a landscape, Géricault's Raft of the Medusa into a study of flotsam on an empty sea.
posted by Iridic (21 comments total)

I love these! It's so interesting to me how some of them look like empty sets, and some of them are perfectly convincing as artworks on their own.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:53 AM on April 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Ooo, he did The Garden of Earthly Delights!
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:54 AM on April 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

The Goya re-envisioning is really interesting. Shortly after the events of the actual Goya, things in that space probably looked a lot like that. An empty space filled with blood.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:56 AM on April 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

Look at this giant half of a shell slowly drifting to or away from the shore.
posted by RainyJay at 9:00 AM on April 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

These are great, especially the Goya. But I'll bet Terry Gilliam has a huge drawer somewhere of "blanks" like these.
posted by benito.strauss at 9:07 AM on April 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

There's something fascinating about The Raft of The Medusa without anyone on it.
posted by miguelcervantes at 9:07 AM on April 2, 2015 [4 favorites]

Wow, these are cool.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:09 AM on April 2, 2015

Shortly after the events of the actual Goya, things in that space probably looked a lot like that. An empty space filled with blood.

I find this one quite striking for the same kind of reason.
posted by billiebee at 9:10 AM on April 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

Wow, these are eerie and surreal!
posted by latkes at 9:11 AM on April 2, 2015

Wow, these are arresting. I was expecting "huh, interesting," and some of them were really provoking. Great find &thanks for posting!
posted by pointystick at 9:54 AM on April 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Ooo, he did The Garden of Earthly Delights!

I thought it was cruel to leave the tree man in the picture. Isn't he a person? A boat-footed tree person in hell, but let's not be dismissive.
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:57 AM on April 2, 2015 [7 favorites]

I understand his next project is a collaboration with Alan Weisman.

Then, art director for a remake of The Quiet Earth.

After that it's on to The Claude Rains Story. . . .
 
posted by Herodios at 10:25 AM on April 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

He's pretty thorough - he even got the king and queen out of Las Meninas.
posted by LionIndex at 10:29 AM on April 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Needs a team-up with Mallory Ortberg who can write snarky captions about how much he's improved things by taking the men out.
posted by pulposus at 10:34 AM on April 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

haunting
posted by nikoniko at 10:48 AM on April 2, 2015

Also worth a visit: The Gluten-Free Museum
posted by fredludd at 11:23 AM on April 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

These are fantastic. Thanks for posting this.
posted by rtha at 11:42 AM on April 2, 2015

The Gluten-Free Museum

...but why?
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:43 AM on April 2, 2015

Seriously, thank you for posting this! It's great, and inspirational.
posted by nevercalm at 12:04 PM on April 2, 2015

There's something fascinating about The Raft of The Medusa without anyone on it
No rum. No sodomy. No lash.
posted by bunglin jones at 12:56 PM on April 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Similar concept.
posted by stebulus at 3:03 PM on April 2, 2015