Crown of Thorns (Songs on the Death of Children)

1994

Guillermo Kuitca

(Argentinian, b. 1961)

Argentina

Acrylic and oil on canvas

Overall: 240 x 189.8 cm (94 1/2 x 74 3/4 in.)

Gift of the Contemporary Art Society on the occasion of its 40th anniversary 2000.21

Location: not on view

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Did You Know?

Kuitca opened his first solo exhibition at age 13 at La Galería Lirolay in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Description

Argentinian artist Guillermo Kuitca uses familiar symbolism that he removes from its context and abstracts to discourage literal interpretation. Here, a twisted pattern of white, spiky lines evokes a child’s scribble, resembling an arbitrary internal circuit with many possible readings. Kuitca uses references to religious symbols like the Christian Crown of Thorns throughout his work, in this case reimagining the circular “crown” as a chaotic tangle of vines. He says, “I like the idea of playing with a kind of religious chaos. As if religion were to be seen as the greatest state of confusion of the human race.”