Action Man

Photo of Jarvis Rockwell touring his exhibition at Norman Rockwell Museum.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe for Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

It seems like only yesterday that we opened a new show, but last night I worked yet another opening for Norman Rockwell Museum's latest exhibition, Jarvis Rockwell: Maya, Illusion, and Us. The oldest son of illustrator Norman Rockwell, Jarvis Rockwell has forged a career an artist in his own right. What I find interesting is that Jarvis decided to create much more conceptual work than his father. Those visiting this 60 year retrospective will see examples of early portraiture which eventually give way to more abstract figures, shapes, and performance-based projects, questioning everything from social to existential matters.

Scaling "Maya V." Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.

Perhaps the most fun element in the exhibition, Maya V is the latest in a series of Hindu-inspired pyramids that the artist has created entirely of action figures. Apparently Jarvis Rockwell has collected these highly detailed figures since the late 1970s, following the death of his father. Along the way he decided to incorporate them into his art, creating miniature tableaus that arrange the figurines in surprising, often dark narratives (I remember being amused that this was the work of Norman Rockwell's son when I started at the Museum). The first Maya exhibit I saw was at the contemporary art museum Mass MoCA over a decade ago, and it was quite a sight to behold--I even recognized a few Star Wars and superhero figures that I once owned as a child.

As the curatorial staff readied the exhibition last week, I had the opportunity to literally jump in and help with the construction of Maya V, as well as document some of the process through my own video and photography. Considering my long affinity towards monsters, superheroes and movie characters, I had good fun helping to assemble the project. It was also interesting to see the connections and narratives that other staff members created with various figures. Jarvis Rockwell basically assigns the directive and allows others to take care of the pyramid installations, and I think the communal aspect of their creation is a cool concept.

One of my contributions to the
action figure pyramid (of course!).

In some ways, I'm sure it hasn't been easy being the son of such a famous artist, known for his more sentimental, commercial illustrations during a time when artistic tastes were shifting in a more modernist and abstract direction. Jarvis hasn't always been easy to reach out to in terms of understanding his father's work (he once emphatically denied my request for a video interview about the subject). However, I think he has begun to make peace with the family legacy and his own contributions. It is nice to see an artist come into his own, and I appreciated hearing his thoughts about how the artistic process has gotten "easier" over time.

Jarvis Rockwell: Maya, Illusion, and Us will be on view at Norman Rockwell Museum through October 20, 2013. The artist will be stopping in from time to time to work on a special wall drawing/collage, so you just might catch him during a visit. Wouldn't that be every kids dream... to draw on the wall of your father's own house aka museum? 

Related Links:

Exhibition press release, written by JC for NRM

"Portrait of a Young Artist," Norman Rockwell Museum blog written by JC

"Maya V" Installation photos by JC for NRM, Norman Rockwell Museum Facebook