Batman & Superman are High Art

American culture has changed over the last several years, and it’s not necessary to defend the artistic integrity of comic books as a genre. But rarely are they represented as classical quite this literally.

"Mauro Perucchetti’s body of work combines Conceptual, Minimalist, and Pop Art traditions. A pioneer in the use of resin, he incorporates a variety of mediums such as crystals, chrome, gold and steel, appealing to the eyes and the sense of touch; his work is a mirror of modern day materialistic desires.Taking a chisel to marble, sculptor Mauro Perucchetti put a superhero twist on Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam” painting by sculpting the “World’s Finest” lineup of Batman and Superman (with Superman apparently ironically modeled after a self-portrait of the artist himself). Originally displayed as a focal piece of his “Modern Day Heroes” installment at the Halcyon Gallery in London back in 2010, the work has since been displayed at several venues around the world. The statue’s blank white exterior stands in contrast with much of his more recent work, which includes brightly colored translucent glass sculptures of police batons, skulls, grenades, gel capsules, hypodermic needles and other icons associated with death and modern stigmas. Of course, he also sculpted the Buddha in Skittle hues, returning once again to an irreverently infusing religious symbolism with his pop culture sensibilities. See more images of Perucchetti’s “Modern Heroes” sculpture, along with a video of it on display as part of a wider outdoor exhibit.–Comics Alliance"

He also made a great sculpt of Poison Ivy and Catwoman in this series. New 52 Catwoman, at that. His body of work is actually pretty impressive.

If you’d like to see his catalog, you can check out his website right here.