Nina Mae Fowler (England, b. 1981)
Graphite on paper, cast resin, slate, 2009. Installation comprising three life-size murals of Hollywood celebrities mourning the death of Rudolph Valentino. Positioned in the center of the installation is an underscale casket cast in black resin and resting on a white pedestal, the casket opens to reveal an effigy of the deceased Valentino. A small bas-relief tablet in cast resin and slate depicts additional mourners and hangs to the side of the mural.
Variable dimensions.
Silent screen star, Rudolph Valentino's 1926 funeral in New York attracted over 100,000 visitors. A second funeral took place in Los Angeles, where over 80,000 mourners paid tribute to Valentino, followed by an invitation only service held at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills. Depicted among the illustrious mourners are Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Theda Bara, William S. Hart, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, John Barrymore, and Pola Negri
