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The very idea of the Victorian photocollage goes against much of what we are taught to expect from this straight-laced, prim and proper era. We think corsets and strict posing, not sharp wit and fun-loving sensibilities. And why shouldn’t we? The Art Institute’s new exhibit, Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage, shows us why we’re so mistaken.
Upon first glimpse of these bizarre collages, you cannot help but feel that you are now part of some private joke over a century in the making. Family photos are trimmed, save the heads, and placed in drawn bottles, pasted on the bodies of animals, decorating drawn frames and playing cards. The magnitude of the collection suggests this was a popular art form. The pleasant shock at which I, along with other viewers, displayed while absentmindedly strolling through the gallery still has me shaking my head in disbelief. We were all a bit betrayed by history.
To understand this new world of surreal-structure and depth-defying imagery, I had to put myself in the shoes of artist Marie-Blanche-Hennelle Fournier, featured in the collection. Little is known about the eccentric Madame B, but, it is widely speculated that she employed her craft to garner favor with social groups. More Bewitching artist than social Butterfly, Madame B was arguably an innovator and felt quite smug with her new documented truths. And what greater form of rebellion from her life as a diplomat’s wife, than to be a quirky artist. Standing there in gallery, we all understood that.
The joke was that Madame B and others saw the rest of the world for what it was, and told everyone to stop taking themselves so seriously. A young boy riding a heron, or a joker scattering family portraits in a meadow subverted expectations and gave way to the absurd. It is a message that had many viewers smiling and nodding either for the sheer hilarity of the work, or for the continued relevance of one looking to upset the bourgeois standard.
For the Art Institute, where permanent exhibits range somewhere from Napoleonic furnishings to Egyptian pottery, this was a welcome, albeit sarcastic, change. Madame B’s album will be on permanent display, whereas the rest of the exhibit will enjoy a shorter viewing through 2010.
As one of the first looks into a new kind of artistic inspiration, the Victorian photocollage remains an unexpectedly fascinating testament to historical documentation. Look for it on your way to Renaissance jewelry.
-Ileana
