By E2 - Kleinveld & Julien
Located in New Orleans, LA
12 x 16 inches - Edition 3 of 7 with 2 APs
Shot in 2011 in New Orleans and Amsterdam
Inspired by Édouard Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, 1863
Photography and acting are kindred spirits in the new series by e2 (Elizabeth Kleinveld and Epaul Julien). Their current photographic project, In Empathy We Trust, presents viewers with re-imagined iconic images from the history of art. The collaborators re-envisioned the work of old master painters beginning with the Flemish Primitives and spanning nearly 600 years.
With subjects enacting roles with varied representations of race, age, and sexual orientation, e2 “remakes with a twist” works by artists such as van Eyck, Rafael, Velázquez, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Fragonard, and Manet. Inspired by the original paintings, e2 hopes to “jar viewers” into questioning their own perceptions. They invite viewers to see these images, and indeed the world anew, using humor, wit and playfulness. In addition they hope that the viewers will see how stereotypes can lead to prejudice and discrimination.
The collaboration began in 2010, after completing work on the traveling exhibition and book project Before (During) After: Louisiana Photographers Respond to Hurricane Katrina. This natural and man-made disaster brought social inequities in Louisiana into vivid focus. Conversations between Kleinveld and Julien revealed their mutual interest in issues of social justice.
Accompanying e2’s series is its own coat of arms, bringing new meaning to the traditional symbol of the aristocracy. Heralded with pelicans and a fleur de lis, the shield reflects the artists’ Louisiana roots. It also features their motto: In Empathy We Trust, which reflects the core values of e2’s work. The artists believe in the power of empathy...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mark Morrisroe Prints and Multiples
MaterialsArchival Pigment