Da Michelangelo 1966

Tano Festa made this painting, "Da Michelangelo," with, what looks like, pretty flat acrylic paint, though I can't see it in person to be sure. The image feels so familiar, the colours so 60s, but with a kind of off-kilter approach to classical iconography. The surface is smooth, almost screen-printed. Festa is playing with the idea of reproduction, of taking something iconic and making it new, maybe a little bit absurd. I keep coming back to the cloud motif in the top right, those graphic shapes against the monumental form of Michelangelo's sculpture. This juxtaposition is where the painting lives. It reminds me a little of Sigmar Polke's playful approach to pop and politics. It's as though Festa is inviting us to reconsider the past, to not take it too seriously. It's a great example of how art can be a conversation across time.