In the galleries: 12 modern Madonnas By Mark Jenkins December 23, 2015 In classical Christian paintings that center on the Madonna, the subject is usually serene, sometimes smiling and always, of course, immaculate. Dariana Arias updates the tradition with “Icons: Las Virgencitas,” and the results are not cheery. The Honfleur Gallery show portrays 12 modern Madonnas, victimized by the expectations of family, society and men. The D.C. artist is originally from Venezuela, so the imagery of the Latin American Catholicism is surely an influence. Arias also draws from the icons of the Eastern Orthodox tradition, with their flattened figures and abundant gold, and perhaps the stiff vignettes of stained glass windows. In addition, the angular bodies and anguished poses suggest El Greco, although Arias’s acrylics lack the depth and richness of his work. The texts that inspire Arias are considerably more contemporary. She includes quotations from existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre and political philosopher Frantz Fanon, who analyzed poverty and racism, and ponders issues as current as yesterday’s newspaper and today’s blog post. Fanon is known for his book “Black Skin, White Masks,” and masks of various kinds characterize the Virgencitas. “Beauty Is in the Double Eyelid of the Beholder” illustrates the vogue for plastic surgery to make East Asian women appear more Western. Other pictures detail, and deplore, the “exotification” of African, Asian and Native American women. Some of Arias’s Madonnas, such as the teenage girl who broadcasts sexualized selfies via her “I-solation” phone, have internalized oppression. And then there’s “Anima” (from the Latin for “soul”), who has a bloody nose and lines of white powder on the table behind her. It’s the most potent of the paintings, yet is the one that seems to have the least to do with the series’ theme. Those who sell their soul for a mind-altering experience are less Madonna than Faust. Icons: Las Virgencitas: Dariana Arias On view through Jan. 8 at Honfleur Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-365-8392. honfleurgallery.com.

In the galleries: 12 modern Madonnas - Honfleur Gallery€¦ · 12/07/2012 · Madonna, the subject is usually serene, sometimes smiling and always, of course, immaculate. Dariana

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Page 1: In the galleries: 12 modern Madonnas - Honfleur Gallery€¦ · 12/07/2012 · Madonna, the subject is usually serene, sometimes smiling and always, of course, immaculate. Dariana

In the galleries: 12 modern Madonnas By Mark Jenkins December 23, 2015

In classical Christian paintings that center on the Madonna, the subject is usually serene, sometimes smiling and always, of course, immaculate. Dariana Arias updates the tradition with “Icons: Las Virgencitas,” and the results are not cheery. The Honfleur Gallery show portrays 12 modern Madonnas, victimized by the expectations of family, society and men. The D.C. artist is originally from Venezuela, so the imagery of the Latin American Catholicism is surely an influence. Arias also draws from the icons of the Eastern Orthodox tradition, with their flattened figures and abundant gold, and perhaps the stiff vignettes of stained glass windows. In addition, the angular bodies and anguished poses suggest El Greco, although

Arias’s acrylics lack the depth and richness of his work. The texts that inspire Arias are considerably more contemporary. She includes quotations from existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre and political philosopher Frantz Fanon, who analyzed poverty and racism, and ponders issues as current as yesterday’s newspaper and today’s blog post.

Fanon is known for his book “Black Skin, White Masks,” and masks of various kinds characterize the Virgencitas. “Beauty Is in the Double Eyelid of the Beholder” illustrates the vogue for plastic surgery to make East Asian women appear more Western. Other pictures detail, and deplore, the “exotification” of African, Asian and Native American women.

Some of Arias’s Madonnas, such as the teenage girl who broadcasts sexualized selfies via her “I-solation” phone, have internalized oppression. And then there’s “Anima” (from the Latin for “soul”), who has a bloody nose and lines of white powder on the table behind her. It’s the most potent of the paintings, yet is the one that seems to have the least to do with the series’ theme. Those who sell their soul for a mind-altering experience are less Madonna than Faust.

Icons: Las Virgencitas: Dariana Arias On view through Jan. 8 at Honfleur

Gallery, 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-365-8392. honfleurgallery.com.