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Copyright © 2023 John H. Anglin, All Rights Reserved 702 708-2764 zeefineartist@gmail.com
Chloe Enjoying The Park
oil on linen, 36” X 48”
a fanciful scene on the grounds of the wonderful
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia.
The painting featured above is one of my most recent oils, Chloe Enjoying the
Park, a fictional view of the very real place at The Virginia Museum of Fine
Arts in Richmond. There are some fascinating aspects about the place which I’ll
comment on below.
I was always attracted to the pretty scene on the park grounds found in the
back of the museum, of the well groomed areas with people enjoying the
benches and lawn. The many sculptures, some great old trees, and the fountain
pond with red Chihuly glass and natural green reeds are all attractive,and it's a
very nice place to visit. I considered making a painting of it from my photo
reference and sketches, but made several more trips there before moving ahead
with my project. As I prepared the study, it dawned on me that I could add an
element of a statue that would give Chloe a scaled size 'hand' placed near the
pathway and in a position to be able to flick passersby. I thought that was a
little funny, Magritte-like, playful, while preserving the beauty of the park and
the amazing statue of Chloe.
When I had this painting fairly well completed, I showed a photo of it to a
friend and he immediately looked at the hand and associated it with the new
neo-Nazi salute, where a hand is extended with the index finger and the
thumb touching at their tips, sort of like an “OK” sign. OMG! At least my
'hand' has the index finger behind the thumb in a primed flicking position, but
It still might carry that negative salute connotation for some observant people.
Hearing my friend’s reaction got me thinking more about this scene. After all,
it is located at a great art museum in a historic southern city, near the famous
boulevard where controversy erupted over the removal of Confederate
figure’s statues that had long dominated the area. Now the boulevard in front
of the museum is renamed after a successful black man, a breakout pioneer in
the mostly white sport of tennis, and a famous civil rights figure —Mr. Arthur
Ashe. Quite a turnabout!
But at such a beautiful park, at a fantastic museum, with a new address, in the
rear of the museum building can be found a very large statue of a woman’s
head, a 24 foot tall white statue, of a Caucasian woman at that, at least she
looks to be white in most people's estimation, in more ways than one.
Unveiled in 2016, “Chloe” has slept peacefully in this idyllic garden setting for
years until the uproar after Charlottesville and the deaths of black people
around the country at the hands of bad cops and some vigilantes brought
protests and controversy even to Richmond and to the nearby monuments.
Somewhat prescient, the artist/sculptor Jaume Plensa had presented his head of
Chloe with her eyes closed (as some of his other sculptures appear, or with eyes
covered). So she was placed nearby where all that recent commotion has been
over and about the amazing changes and the many feelings on all sides that
remain present about race, the Civil War, the history of slavery, neglected facts
of black people’s contributions, the ongoing struggle for equality and fairness,
dignity, and grace. Through all this,…Chloe has remained asleep, or perhaps,
since the head isn’t supine—maybe she was just not looking, closing her eyes
intentionally, and staying blissfully ignorant while so close to the scene of
change. Chloe is a more powerful work of art when seen this way, as one who
is behind the scenes, so to speak, but sees nothing as her eyes are shut and yet
she serenely dominates the park. Plensa's intention?
Chloe has a further role she plays now, as a curious personality like many
unconscious privileged whites who might understand themselves in this
mirror. Who connects these things? Maybe the artist and museum patrons will
enjoy my addition of the hand, and my commentary on the park, and the
museum’s position in these historic moments. Getting a flick, a metaphorical
thump to the head to wake up, as well for citizens to open our eyes and see
what’s really going on with us and around us, well, I imagine many will then
find this painting and its somewhat secret meaning of interest, and come to
view Plensa's statue of Chloe differently. --Jack Anglin April 2023
This Painting is for sale!
A Richmond gallery may soon represent the artist and handle the painting,
--but for now, please contact the artist directly.
A new work by Jack Anglin