Izhar Patkin’s Palagonia

Blog post by Briana George

Last week I got the chance to go to MASS MoCA. I instantly fell in love with Izhar Patkin’s works. I was surprised and impressed by the differences in size, style, and mediums. I went ahead of the group so I had the chance to sit by myself in many of the sheer “landscape rooms” by myself. It was absolutely transcendental. I got to be immersed into different scenes such as beautiful and airy outdoor gardens and a theatre filled with celebrities. I was especially intrigued by Palagonia: the sculpture. I’m also so interested in the combination of wax and the human form. It always adds this ghostly grace. This statue reminded me a lot of some I had seen at Versailles. It merges an old style that most are familiar with and a new medium that is uncomfortable and not seen much in the sculpture field.  I think this was one of the main reasons I stopped to look at it, from all angles, for so long.