DILLY DALLYING at THE MET [or The Fragile Thread]

FLORA × Museum Archive challenge The brief: reimagine one of the Public Domain works of art in the Met Museum's archive, using the Flora AI Canvas. Inspired by and working with  two paintings: Soap Bubbles Jean Siméon Chardin (1733–34) and the portrait of Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga (1784–1792) by Goya.

At first glance, the two paintings seem different, but they share a common theme of the fragility of life and the preciousness of time. These are represented in elements such as the soap bubbles in Chardin’s painting, and the animals in Goya’s portrait. Here the animals serve as a “reminder of the frail boundaries that separate the child’s world from the forces of evil, or as a commentary on the fleeting nature of innocence and youth”. To begin with, I made a simple mash-up between the subjects to have them interact in a brief video. Then I decided to pull it into a wider design: a contemporary concept exploring time and modern ideas of what is considered productive use of time. To counter the contemporary belief that time should be used productively, I explore notions of leisurely ‘dilly dallying’ and ‘doing nothing’, as a way to approach the theme. Using key elements from the paintings; the two young subjects, the magpie in Goya’s painting and the soap bubble and ‘blow pipe’ from Chardin’s. From these elements I created:  - One large contemporary sculpture being displayed at a conceptual exhibition, showcasing the sculpture and the two paintings alongside each other. - Various merchandise to accompany the exhibition. - A campaign and event > The Met Live Matiné: ‘Dilly dally Sundays’ at the Met Museum.   See the original pieces here: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436545 https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435888

#FLORAMuseum Thanks to FLORA and Contra. I didn’t think I’d have quite so much fun, but I certainly did! Loving the FLORA canvas and the possibilities it offers.