In the midst of ever present Star Wars: The Force Awakens footage, fans of all mediums are reclaiming and representing their love of this classic collected series. One anonymous French artist under the pseudonym Travis Durden (yes, he’s a fan of Fight Club, but he can’t talk about it) has put his own spin on the Star Wars universe by painstakingly crafting five faux-marble statues in the manner of ancient Greek and Roman art.
The exhibit is titled “Contre Attaque,†or counter attack, and is housed at Galerie Sakura in Paris, which hosts an on-going collection of various Star Wars-inspired works by contemporary artists. You can also buy prints from this exhibit on their website (Note: prices are set in the UK Pound).
Each statue by Durden features something old with something new; the iconic helmet of Darth Vader mixed with a godlike pose, a philosophical Imperial stormtrooper, General Grievous leaning back in pain, a pensive Boba Fett, and an angelic cherub Yoda. These characters are all digitally recreated on top of classically styled bodies evocative of those found at the Louvre (more in the gallery below).
‘General Niobides’
‘Gladiator Boba’
It’s the ultimate play on soft-versus-hard juxtaposition as well as a play on these characters and their assumed roles in Star Wars. Could you imagine a pondering stormtrooper, reading Aristotle in between shifts on the Death Star? Or perhaps a reflective Boba Fett after successfully capturing Han Solo? And although the more human-looking main characters are missing, this batch of Star Wars personalities is equally as impressive and insightful.
The exhibit also validates Star Wars as a work of art, as classical Greek and Roman statues ultimately represented the connection between human beings and the tragic heroes and heroines of famous myths. Durden is in good company with this theory of Star Wars; the great American mythologist Joseph Campbell also continuously backs up Star Wars as a relevant and powerful modern interpretation of classical mythology.
And artwork such as this makes us ask questions we never thought we would — what separates stormtroopers from members of our military, or Yoda from various religious leaders, or any ruthless politician from General Grievous?
That’s the great thing about the growing Star Wars universe, much like classical mythology, it mimics real life while also giving us that glorious sci-fi twist.
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HT: Beautiful Decay
Image Credits: Travis Durden
