Kicks on The Fop!

Critic Wilhelm Kicks

and Anonymous on

“The Fop!”

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

About this Transcription:

The following conversation between art critic Wilhelm Kicks and an anonymous bystander took place at the opening reception of the exhibition, Struttin’, at the Peg Alston Fine Arts Gallery on June 13th 2013. Kicks opinions on Barboza’s art piece “ ’The Fop!’: a Character Portrait of Draco Adollphus B” were recorded by a junior member of our staff, and transcribed here by D.Alamander78 of the staff at DracoB.com.

The following opinions contained in this article do not necessarily represent that of DracoB.com incorporated, nor that of any individual or party related to DracoB.com or its participants therein. The names of individuals and/or specific location may be omitted for the privacy of specific individuals, in protection of both their private and/or public lives/personas, as well as intellectual property and/or the management of reputations public, private and/or corporate.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Critic Wilhelm Kicks discussing

“The Fop! A Character Portrait of Draco Adollphus B”:

WK: …What’s surprising about the work [referring to “The Fop!”] for me, is it’s title. It’s both literal as well as satirical. You could say it’s literally a portrait of ‘a Fop,’ perhaps ‘a Dandy’…

… he’s clothed in this [Kicks gesturing to artwork] vibrant, elaborate, barrage of high-fashion magazine elements,

in this barrage-of-color…

And yet there is an element of the satirical —The seriousness… the-sobriety-of-his-expression opposes all the qualities that seem to make him a ‘a Fop’!

Anonymous Bystander: So is he actually ‘a Fop’?

[Bystander laughing casually] I mean do you see him as an accurate representation of one?

[both Kicks and Bystander laughing briefly]

WK: [Kicks laughing] Well… I don’t claim to be an expert on foppery… [Sipping wine] but, here is where it gets interesting (for me at least) —because we (the viewers) have no way of knowing whether the figure is in fact ‘a Fop’ of is he has been branded as one.

Anonymous Bystander: It’s an enigma [Bystander suggests]

WK: [Kicks casually nodding in agreement] It’s an enigma.

Anonymous Bystander: What I find strange is that the face,

out of all the portraits I’ve seen her [referring to the artist Danica Barboza] do of Draco, look so…

I mean, I have NEVER seen her sculpt his face to look that much like ___[Name Omitted]__! I mean the body, the broad shoulders, I suppose that all feels like Draco, looks like… Draco B,

but the face, it looks EXACTLY like a portrait of ___[Name Omitted]__ !! It’s as though she is suddenly showing off the fact that— [Kicks interrupting]

WK: So you think that this her [Danica Barboza’s] way of blatantly implying that ___[Name Omitted]__ is in fact Draco’s actual father ?

Anonymous Bystander: [silent] [frowning at artwork] …

WK: [longer pause] …

Anonymous Bystander: You know? … [pause] I just don’t know.

I mean it’s been a rumor for SO long. It could almost be—[Kicks interrupting]

WK: Another layer of satire?

Anonymous Bystander: [nods thoughtfully looking at artwork] Yes… but that’s almost not the word for it…

WK: Interesting…

Anonymous Bystander: [Silent] [looking at work] …

WK: — I mean, because, it could actually be more of a metaphor— I suppose.

Anonymous Bystander: How so?

WK: Well it leads one to question… even if Draco is supposedly posing as this character, as “The” Fop. Who is he really masquerading as? [pause]

Who really is “The Fop”?