RICCARDO MAYR

“Religious Paintings of the Expanded Galaxy”

Gallery 30 South, Pasadena

What the Gallery Says: “The purpose of this project is to integrate into original paintings from the 17th and 18th Century fictitious elements and characters taken from the popular culture of our times: the Star Wars saga. In so doing, we present religious faith and ethics in a post-modern paradigm largely embedded in fictional reality through a multi-generational exposure and fascination with successful science fiction movies. We also give back to figurative oil paintings a new path to a concept of truth.

“In most cases, the original paintings had sustained damage over centuries of non-archival storage with the cost of restoration exceeding their relative value, so more than just a mash-up of classical works from antiquity with contemporary pop, there is an element of art preservation and new relevance.”

Why It’s Worth a Look: The Force is strong with this one. As his literal canvas, Mayr is working with works of Swiss painter Franz Kaisermann (1765–1833) and Renaissance-era artists of Italy’s Ferrarese School, from his native Ferrara. The results are so seamless we wouldn’t be surprised if some viewers could be tricked into thinking the sci-fi elements reflected the paintings’ original appearance. Alternately, the Kaisermann landscapes and cityscapes, some of which recall the planet Naboo, could certainly pull double duty as concept art for Episode IX. Here’s hoping director J.J. Abrams makes a visit.

What It Looks Like:

“Riccardo Mayr: Religious Paintings of the Expanded Galaxy” is on view through January 28, 2018.

Gallery 30 South is located at 30 South Wilson Avenue, Pasadena, California.

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