Polly Apfelbaum. Blossom. 2000
Officially my favorite gallery-wall label text ever:
This large, circular, floor–hugging work, inspired by the popular animated cartoon The Powerpuff Girls, is part of a group Apfelbaum calls “fallen paintings” in reference to their irreverent position on the ground. Works in the Powerpuff series—like the cartoons on which they are based—are highly controlled and painstakingly put together while still articulating the delirious thrill of topsy–turvydom. This piece is an abstract portrait of Blossom, the invincible red–haired and pink–eyed leader of the Powerpuff trio, whose mission is to save the world from evil before bedtime. Apfelbaum espouses superhero comic characters as legitimate catalysts for change. Discussing the rise of girl power, the artist notes, “I liked the idea of a strong somewhat promiscuous female role model, the slightly out-of-control quality of these cartoon characters.” via MoMA
