Local artists exhibit ‘fabulous fakes’ of well-known masterpieces

In the Naperville Art League’s “Fabulous Fakes” exhibit, on display through February, local artists have accepted the challenge of creating altered versions of well-known masterpieces.

The art exhibit with a twist opened Wednesday and continues through Saturday, March 1, at the Naperville Fine Art Center and Gallery, 508 N. Center St., Naperville. A reception is 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9.

The viewer is welcomed to examine each work and discover the veiled parody the artist has created. Children and adults alike experience great satisfaction at finding the hidden alterations.

Artists may choose to re-create a piece of work by another artist and adding their own subtle variation, as Bill Sahagian did in his spin on Mary Cassett’s “Sara in a Green Bonnet.”

Jeremy Moats submitted a digital version of Rembrandt’s “Night Watch” titled “The Night Watch of the Doctor,” in which the original faces of the depicted characters were replaced with faces from the “Dr. Who” series.

Poetic license also allows for work executed in a medium other than the original as illustrated by Cynthia Boudreau in her entry, “If Georgia Was A Felter …” in which she used fiber to reproduce O’Keeffe’s “Pink Shell with Seaweed” painting.

Regular gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. For information, call (630) 355-2530 or visit napervilleartleague.com.