Cabbage Patch Queen
Last week, New York artist George Condo unveiled a series of nine portraits of Queen Elizabeth. One in particular has sparked a debate, and I’m sure slight outrage amongst the more rabid royalists among the British population.
Critics are panning the painting that the artist himself described as a “Cabbage patch dollâ€? in an interview with Reuters. The portrait is titled “Dreams and Nightmares of the Queen” and is meant to represent how the monarch would see herself in a nightmarish vision.
The royal family did not commission this piece of work that is now hanging in the Tate Modern in London. Instead, Condo was asked to produce the work by The Wrong gallery, which is now situated in the Museum. Its intention is to showcase works of art, which wouldn’t normally be displayed in British galleries.
Of the nine works, all of which are surreal, one other shows the British head of state with a carrot through her head, while another depicts her as a chess piece. Here is a selection of portraits of the Queen, some controversial others traditional, all of which though sparked debate.
We should just be very thankful that Condo’s original vision and intention to paint the Queen as a nude was not averted thanks to a law stating nude pictures of the royal family are not allowed to be shown in public institutions!
George Condo, Queen Elizabeth, Cabbage Patch Doll
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:31 pm
What does that carot symbolize, I wonder.
Hope royalty has a sense of humour. More often it is the loyalists who get peeved by art and interpretation.
November 3rd, 2006 at 5:00 pm
I wouldn’t like to imagine what the carrot symbolizes tbh :S
He’s a talented artist anyway and I pretty much disagree with any censorhip in art, it’s all about interpretation after all.
October 15th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
[...] At least these pieces were probably more attractive than the recently unveiled cartoon style paintings of The Queen. [...]