Since the 1950s, Paula Rego has played a key role in redefining figurative art in the UK and internationally. An uncompromising artist of extraordinary imaginative power, she has revolutionised the way in which women are represented.
The exhibition tells the story of Rego's extraordinary life, highlighting the personal nature of much of her work and the socio-political context in which it is rooted. It also reveals the artist’s broad range of references, from comic strips to history painting. The Policeman's Daughter, 1987During the exhibition, I found The Policeman's Daughter to be one of my favourite paintings. In this work, the boot alludes to both paternal and state power. The role of the girl is uncertain as she dutifully polishes her father's boot. The way she places her arm in the boot is sexually charged and could be read as an attack on patriarchy through female empowerment. The symbolic narrative of the picture is further complicated by the inclusion of the black cat, as an ambivalent character of uncertain emotions.
|
Fragmented RealityThroughout the 1960s and 70s, Rego mainly produced collage-based works, and relished this more tactile and intuitive way of working. She expressed her feelings of rage and anguish connected with world politics and events, from the cruelty of Portugal's authoritarian regime to poor conditions for workers.
In her collages, Rego continues the surrealist tradition of combining disparate fragments and mixing fine art and popular culture. She typically produced series' of illustrations of traditional Portuguese folk tales. A Subversive VisionRego was born in Portugal in 1935. At the time, the country was under a dictatorship, the Estado Novo, which lasted until 1974. The authoritarian regime suppressed political freedom and dramatically limited rights for women. Rego's early paintings take inspiration from her own personal experiences, address the abuse of power and makes women's stories visible.
In 1960s, she started working with abstracted and visceral bodily forms. Works from this period often denounce the grotesque nature of the Portuguese dictatorship. The Return of the Native, 1993This work is inspired by British novelist Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native 1878. Like the novel, the watercolour deals the the tragic end of a woman, who's desires clashed with the social norms within a rural community. Rego explores the realm of the human psyche, with its dreams and fears. She pitches this against the beauty and harshness of nature.
|
Photoshop |
Painted |