Verso

Vik Muniz’s “Verso” is a group of three-dimensional trompe-l’oeils of the actual backs of such iconic works as Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Seurat’s La Grande Jatte that, over a period of six years, Muniz photographed and systematically studied in partnership with the curatorial and conservation departments of MoMA, the Guggenheim and the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as with a team of dedicated craftsman, artists, forgers and technicians. These disconcertingly faithful, 1:1 scale reproductions are the result of an inch-by-inch process that did not spare the slightest detail; every scratch, dent or scribble is physically reproduced to photographic precision. Authentic looking labels, worn-away tape, faded pencil notations and actual period hardware and carpentry make it hard even for an expert to disbelieve they are seeing the actual backs of these masterpieces.
Artist biography: Vik Muniz was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and lives and works in New York and Brazil.