Double Rembrandt (with steps) 1987 - 1991

Editor: Here we have the Starn twins' "Double Rembrandt (with steps)," a mixed-media photomontage they worked on from 1987 to 1991. It has this fractured, almost decaying feel. How do you interpret the imagery and construction of this piece? Curator: It's fascinating, isn't it? Look at how the Starns dismantle and reassemble Rembrandt’s portrait. The fragmentation isn’t just visual; it speaks to the fractured nature of memory and the way we inherit and reinterpret cultural icons. Doesn’t the decay remind you of something old trying to be new? Editor: I see that. The golden squares draw my eyes across the work, like scattered points of focus. Curator: Yes, the gold acts as a Byzantine "crack-filler," connecting the seemingly disparate parts, a potent symbol of value placed upon repair, echoing the continuous, piecemeal construction of meaning over time. Do you see other visual clues about the historical and cultural weight carried in the images? Editor: The worn texture, definitely! It feels like I’m looking at something ancient. Perhaps this "aging" serves to acknowledge the master and challenge how we relate to Old Masters today? Curator: Precisely! The Starns highlight Rembrandt's enduring influence but also suggest that our understanding of him is always mediated, fragmented, rebuilt through layers of interpretation. We keep going back and altering what was already done. It’s a conversation across centuries. Editor: So it's about recognizing how art shapes and reshapes our cultural memory. It's really powerful to see how they explore that. Thanks! Curator: And thank you; seeing your interpretation is exciting. It’s about continuity, memory, legacy, destruction, and how history itself becomes material to work with, to challenge, and revere all at once.