Jun. 30, 2010 - Issue #767: The Bestest of Edmonton 2010

Revue

Solid foundation

There's a lot going on in Piranesi's architectural fantasies

Piranesi's Imaginary Prisons are an influential set of architectural fantasies exploring the legacy of classical architecture. Steeped in the neoclassical culture of the 18th century, Piranesi's project was about the glorification of Roman architecture, and as well as creating prints like these, the artist also wrote extensively about classical architecture and in particular the magnificence of ancient Rome and its superiority to the related Greek tradition.

That may not sound very exciting, but there's more going on in these works than an irrelevant historical debate. Piranesi's Prisons were published in two versions—the Art Gallery of Alberta has provided both for some of the images, and the contrast is remarkable—that show a window into his creative process. Not only did Piranesi further emphasize the magnificence of the second set by tightening his sketchy lines, creating more ridiculously overblown architectural backgrounds and adding tonal drama, but his works anticipate the Romantic school that gave us the last show in the AGA's small main-floor gallery space, Goya's Los Caprichos. There is a lot in common here, even though Piranesi's politics seem considerably less urgent, as he ratchets up the detail of his prisons with gruesome instruments of torture and bound prisoners adding to the excitement of his increased tonal contrast and structures.

The sensationalism of the prints is in fact a little curious, if Piranesi was in fact trying to celebrate the architecture of Rome and the brief background description doesn't give much to fill it in. There are more questions raised by the images themselves, too: in a few cases—"The Drawbridge" and "The Arch with a Shell Ornament" in particular—Piranesi created ambiguous spatial relations that recall the Escher works upstairs, although it's not always as clear how they are meant to be read. They are perhaps clues to the fantasy of the work: the excessive architecture is plainly impossible, and Piranesi indulges in ahistoricity as, in one work, he grafts medieval gothic arches into his imaginary ancient Rome, and uses a broad swathe of historical and mythological references to create a peculiar real/unreal environment. Strange fantasies indeed—but especially in their improved second versions, fairly compelling images.

The show as it stands is clearly a part of the historically educational part of the AGA's programming, and it certainly presents information on the works, but it's not one of the most exciting out of that group. Compared to the Goya show that recently occupied the same space, or even the Warner Brothers and Escher upstairs, it doesn't have the same pull, and I found myself with nagging questions. Generally, I would have loved a more complete explanation of the works' context, both in terms of immediate material about Piranesi and his Graeco-Roman controversy, and more importantly about his legacy and influence on Romanticism. Piranesi is not, I think, a household name in the same fashion as the other "hits" at the AGA, and really the show doesn't offer much beyond the drama of the images themselves, although that's a firm foundation to build from. V

Until Sun, Nov 7
Piranesi's Prisons: Architecture of mystery and imagination
Works by Piranesi
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