by marissa bea
In a strange, brightly lit interior, lurk images of human passions, vices and deformations. I have not seen a retrospective of an artist’s work that I have loved so much than this exhibition of Francis Bacon at the Met. With what seems like a small number of his own works (only 65 paintings), the exhibition keeps going and going for rooms on end. An equal number of archival pieces complement the exhibition, by giving background to his life and the people in it.
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For those who are unfamiliar with Francis Bacon, he is one of the most influential painters of the 20th century, who passed away in 1992. This show marks his centennial birthday and puts together, in chronological order, pieces from every period of his painting career. As you walk through the rooms, you can get an idea of how he grew within his painting, what was going on in his life, and how he still drew from inspirations years in his past. Often the same themes pop up, the same subjects or studies and it is the perfect example of an art-filled life.
The way Bacon combines the interior with the exterior makes the paintings available to everyone. It creates a dream-like state rather than actual reality and places these distorted figures into their own nightmares. The beings in the pieces look like echoes of life, where the life has been removed from the image. While they are recognizable as human, they emit a powerful beast-like quality, dysfunctional, yet tender.
The intimate archival room is, at first, unclear of its purpose, but step into it and you find pieces of Bacon’s life that were of great importance. It is dominated by a large photo of his studio, just as insane and emotion-filled as his pieces. It’s like a puzzle, letting you find and piece together the things that inspired him and delve deeper into his psyche with every turn.
Walking around the rooms, I noticed the awe on the faces of the other viewers. Mouths were hanging open, an interesting mirror to the gaping jaws of many of the paintings themselves. Bacon is one of the most amazing artist in terms of how he handles space within the painting. Some pieces are filled nearly to every edge while others have figures lying in empty space. Note the changes (or perhaps lack thereof) of is style throughout the years. There are small nuances of brilliance dispersed through the show, silently hidden, and yet the most important of all.
As always, I encourage you to read the information on the walls about the life of the artist. Looking at art is so much more interesting and informative when you understand the life of the person, their personality and the world they lived in. Poignant, to-the-point, disturbing and freakish, sometimes bordering on the pornographic, Mr. Bacon has left the world a legacy of its own inner turmoil. This exhibition wonderfully exercises his understanding of human nature, and is a must for any lover of art.
Think the David Lynch world of Eraserhead-like beings. Add some Fantasia and you’ve got the world of Francis Bacon.
