From Success to Obscurity
- Year2004
- MaterialOil on canvas
- Dimensions101.6 x 129.5 cm
- On viewBasement floor
- Copyright© Nicole Eisenman. Hall Collection. Courtesy Hall Art Foundation. Photo: Bryan Conley
More about the artwork
Today we know of Nicole Eisenman’s phenomenal and ongoing success. But in the early 2000s, she agonized over the scenario of a descent “From Success to Obscurity”, which is also the title of her idiosyncratic self-portrait. In it, Ben Grimm alias The Thing from Marvel’s “Fantastic Four” comic series features as the artist’s alter ego. It’s a curious yet apt choice, because no matter how thick the creature’s skin, it still looks hurt. In the American comic series, Grimm finds it hard to come to terms with his heroic transformation, for his colossal muscularity and monstrous appearance make him not only a superhero, but also a feared societal outsider. His story is interpreted as a modern rephrasing of the Jewish Golem myth, especially since his physical appearance is directly inspired by depictions of the clay creature. Readers and fans had long suspected the Jewish identity of The Thing, and in 2002, it was explicitly discussed in the plot of a new comic book in the series—another connection to Eisenman’s biography.
