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November 13, 2021 3:46 AM Subscribe
Paula Rego's retrospective this year at Tate Britain covered six decades of her art: painting, collage, printmaking, pastels, exploring power, abuse, story and women's agency. The exhibition guide includes images of her work, and the Tate has a short trailer (0.36) online. There are more images in this article by the exhibition's curator, Elena Crippa. The exhibition includes the work Rego has done about injustice towards women and girls - abortion laws, trafficking and female genital mutilation.
In an interview, Rego says "I make women the protagonists because I am one". The interviewer, Kate Kellaway, says "there are not many artists who have made women their subject in the inward, intense and complicated way that Rego has over the decades – painting them in pain, power and surrender". Miranda France discusses the activism and violence of Rego's art, writing that she "sees horror as part of life’s carnival". Beverley D'Silva, in another interview with more images, says that her work can be "agonising to look at ... [but also] lyrical, as well as mischievous, playful".
An interview from 2017, though much of it from her son's perspective, describes Rego's experience of depression and her "closer to rape" first meeting with the man she married (her son's words). Her son and the critic Catherine Lampert discuss Rego's work in a videoed session (YouTube) from an exhibition in 2019. There is an earlier interview from 2011 at the White Review, in which Rego describes a critic telling her "This is a load of junk".
There is more of her work at the Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, including a virtual tour of their last year's exhibition and the guide (PDF) to the current one.
In an interview, Rego says "I make women the protagonists because I am one". The interviewer, Kate Kellaway, says "there are not many artists who have made women their subject in the inward, intense and complicated way that Rego has over the decades – painting them in pain, power and surrender". Miranda France discusses the activism and violence of Rego's art, writing that she "sees horror as part of life’s carnival". Beverley D'Silva, in another interview with more images, says that her work can be "agonising to look at ... [but also] lyrical, as well as mischievous, playful".
An interview from 2017, though much of it from her son's perspective, describes Rego's experience of depression and her "closer to rape" first meeting with the man she married (her son's words). Her son and the critic Catherine Lampert discuss Rego's work in a videoed session (YouTube) from an exhibition in 2019. There is an earlier interview from 2011 at the White Review, in which Rego describes a critic telling her "This is a load of junk".
There is more of her work at the Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, including a virtual tour of their last year's exhibition and the guide (PDF) to the current one.
Oh this is delightful! Im not sure how or why, but I feel seen in her work. Thank you so much - I wasn't familiar with Rego and will look for her work in the future!
posted by esoteric things at 6:40 AM on November 13, 2021
posted by esoteric things at 6:40 AM on November 13, 2021
I like her "War" and "Aborto," her work is both dark and light, surreal and hyperreal. It's all good, and the Casa de Paula Rego in Cascais in the OP is an excellent museum.
posted by chavenet at 10:15 AM on November 13, 2021
posted by chavenet at 10:15 AM on November 13, 2021
It was a very good exhibition, surprisingly comprehensive with everything from her prize-winning ‘Under Milk Wood’ done at the Slade to very recent stuff. Long may she flourish.
posted by Phanx at 1:47 PM on November 14, 2021
posted by Phanx at 1:47 PM on November 14, 2021
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posted by paduasoy at 3:46 AM on November 13, 2021 [1 favorite]