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Vereinzeller
Spalthautdeckung
Jun 20, 2017 18:39
6 yrs ago
German term

Bildertollwut

German to English Art/Literary Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
Looking for a trans of this exhibition title (Full title: Was bleibt/Bildertollwut). The artist is Romanian-Swiss, the exhibition took place in Austria. The works are assemblages of end-of-the-day flea market tables selling framed paintings and art prints. It has previously been translated as 'Picture Madness' but I'm wondering if that is adequate?
Any ideas?
Proposed translations (English)
3 +3 Image frenzy/Frenzied images
4 +1 Pandemonium of Images
3 picture obsession
3 Rabid Work(s)
3 End of Story Raging tableaus

Discussion

Ramey Rieger (X) Jun 21, 2017:
Hi Helen! Hope you're doing well. Yes, that's a good point. In US English it would work very well, rabid being a very accessible artistic image. So they question is, which English variation?
Helen Shiner Jun 21, 2017:
To my British ear using 'rabid' here is pretty pejorative and too tightly linked to the disease. I don't see any reference to it in the description of the assemblages.
Ramey Rieger (X) Jun 21, 2017:
Moin Janet I, personally, think 'rabid' is clear enough and would avoid 'pictures' and use 'images' as Helen suggests or 'works.' 'Rabidness' doesn't really work, but perhaps Works of Rabidity. Naw, Rabid Works :-)
janetlg (asker) Jun 21, 2017:
Ramey, they are assemblage (artist is Spoerri, as Michael has linked), found-object collages made of flea market tables — stalls that were selling framed pictures.

I also thought of 'rabid' and think it keeps the flavour of Tollwut nicely. Maybe 'Picture Rabidness'...? 'Rabid Picture Madness'..?
Ellen Kraus Jun 20, 2017:
I dont think people would understand the use of phobia in this context, hydrophobia meaning the fear of water, but share your view as to "madness" being o.k. ( insanity, obsession or crazyness IMO would also be adequate).
Ramey Rieger (X) Jun 20, 2017:
Hi Janet Are we talking about collages? paintings? photographs?
Leftovers - Rabid works
philgoddard Jun 20, 2017:
Hydrophobia is one symptom of rabies. I agree that madness is fine.
Kphred Jun 20, 2017:
Phobias because "Tollwut" means "rabies," i.e. "hydrophobia" in English, you might consider replacing "madness" with "phobia," although a rabid animal is conventionally referred to as "mad" as well, so really, "Madness" is perfectly adequate.

Proposed translations

+3
38 mins
Selected

Image frenzy/Frenzied images

Another suggestion. I think pictures limits it. Because aside from the pictures on the tables that form the installation/s, the installation/s itself/themselves form a tableau or image in its/their own right. Images or pictures within an image, if you like. Presumably a comment on the voraciousness of the art market. We do speak of buying frenzies, hence my suggestions.
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard
8 mins
Thanks, Phil
agree writeaway
10 hrs
Thanks, writeaway
agree Ramey Rieger (X) : Nice one!
2 days 17 hrs
Thanks, Ramey
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks everyone for the helpful insights. 'Image frenzy' seems a good fit because of the layers of images and the frenzies of buying/selling. Thank you Helen"
11 mins

picture obsession

is stronger than madness
Something went wrong...
+1
25 mins

Pandemonium of Images

Peer comment(s):
agree michael10705 (X) : Picture pandemonium, or pandemonium of pictures, etc...
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
42 mins

Rabid Work(s)

Fro what it's worth, 'rabid' is such a fine, descriptive word and works well if you turn it around, which I also think is permissible here.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Lonnie Legg : See Helen's post.
2 days 17 hrs
I did. And I agree. I'm glad she got the points, too.
Something went wrong...
52 mins

End of Story Raging tableaus

Well... I'm Anglo-Swiss. My take: 1st half of title- An alternative to At the End of the Day (film associations abound; & a bit long) - End of Story communicates sth. of the 'that's it then' of desolate after-jumble sites (doesn't it?). 2nd half: tableaus as in (Vctorian-Edwardian) posed, if you will: 'stills', human assemblages for scenes caught, and 'passé'/antique/curio. Not verbally echoed, but the film title "Sleep Furiously" comes to my mind.

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Note added at 15 hrs (2017-06-21 10:11:32 GMT)
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Sorry not to have read all contribs(Discussion) in depth. If I'd realised it was Spoerri (of course, Romanian-Swiss)... Tableau or plur -eaux would go nicely, Spoerri 'is' table-top assemblages... Up the confidence grade, please, call it high. Thx.
Something went wrong...
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