Ivan Albright: Finding Connection Through the Grotesque

 

Picture of Dorian Gray- Albright 1945

Albright specifically executed this piece for the 1945 adaptation of Oscar Wilde's novel "A Picture of Dorian Gray". In the novel, the portrait of a young and attractive Dorian Gray decays as the real Dorian stays young and his moral depravity is represented in the decay of the painting.

Having taken an interest in the macabre and being renowned for his work as a grotesque painter, Albright was the perfect choice for the project. Albright made the painting with sumptuous color and the 1945 adaptation, which was shot in black and white, made sure to shoot the painting in technicolor to show the rare vibrancy of the painting.

Much like the anthropological ideas discussed in "A Creative Spark" by Agustín Fuentes, Albright's creativity seeks to create connection through the macabre idea that we all share in the condition of aging in decomposition. Fuentes states that humans are unique in their creativity in that they thrive in collaboration and it is a unique evolutionary adaptation for our species. As stated earlier, Albright used the Platonic idea that "our body is our tomb" to drive his creative process and draw individuals to his works through a shared sense of horror. Through making several of his subjects in states of decay and aging, it normalizes the process and incorporates it as a usual part of the human experience.

In terms of creativity, I would say that Albright would be a little "c" creative, in that he is extremely talented at painting. But, in terms of revolutionizing the field, he did not spearhead any large movements. However, he was extremely forward-thinking incorporating the gruesome scenes he encountered in World War I as a medical illustrator into an aesthetic that would popularize his paintings.