Blog post by Dylan Ostrander

While visiting the Mass MoCa, one piece of art struck me harder than any other. The piece is by artist Izhar Patkin. It is a stunning, brightly colored anodized aluminum sculpture of Don Quixote saddled on his horse in a curious position whilst reading a book. As we entered Izhar Patkin’s exhibit The Wandering Veil, we were greeted by not the front of the horse, but the rear end, possibly a comment on how Don Quixote was an asinine character or a “horse’s ass” in terms of logic. Upon doing further research on the piece, I have discovered that Don Quixote is reading  the second part of the book series that bears his name.   Besides a book, he holds a mirror in his hand which is aimed at his face, seemingly as if to allow Quixote to see how he reacts to reading his own life story. He seems to be making a very grotesque or disgusted face. Perhaps he is worried about how he appears to people who have read about him and wants to know how he himself would react to his adventures in order to gauge how others react? Perhaps the piece is a comment upon the viewer of the piece themselves, telling them to observe how they appear to others and to themselves in comparison. One of the things that amazed me about this piece is how Patkin worked the aluminum to look like folded clothing on the body. This Don Quixote is a sight to behold, and I suggest anyone who hasn’t seen it should go and see it. Even if you have seen it, go and see it again and observe it as closely as you can!

Info on the piece/citation:

(1)http://izharpatkin.com/don_quijote/don_quijote.html

 

On display at Mass MoCa until September 2014 (http://www.massmoca.org/event_details.php?id=845)