|
|
Article: Markus Lupertz at Michael Werner. (New York, New York)(Review of Exhibitions)
- Article from:
- Art in America
- Article date:
- February 1, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Brant Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Markus Lupertz's recent show consisted of a series of large oils, each titled Men Without Women--Parsifal. Each presents a monumental disembodied head floating against an unremarkable background. The features of the face are stripped to a brutal simplicity: slits for eyes and mouth, nose and cheek creases indicated by shapes resembling nothing so much as Milkbone Dog Biscuits.
The bodiless head connotes intellect, emotion unattached to action, and virginity. In Wagner's opera, Parsifal is the "guileless fool," who alone through his purity can recapture the lance that pierced Christ's side. In his rejection of the sorceress Kundry's advances, Parsifal proves his ...