Published at 12:01 am. Updated at 7:00 a.m.
This year I fell in love, if not love at first sight, with the artist Marisol. You may have seen one of his cubic sculptures or his black-and-white portrait on a poster in a Montreal Metro corridor. His work is the subject of a fantastic exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA).
Marisol Escobar died in 2016 at the age of 86, but her work is so timely and relevant that it wouldn't be out of place in an art gallery on Boulevard Saint-Laurent.
His creations reflect current, topical issues.
To talk about the artist and his work, I met with the exhibition curator, Mary-Dailey Desmarais. I was curious to learn more about the museum's intent in programming this exhibition.
However, I admit I had a bit of doubt going into the museum. At Sherbrooke subway station, dozens of FAE strikers, recognizable by their red tuques, headed to Square Saint-Louis for another day of demonstrations. And between Jean-Talon and Lucien-L'Allier stations, I counted at least five homeless people huddled on the ground. Insecurity jumped out at me everywhere and suddenly the idea of talking about art in a museum seemed perhaps a little too comfortable.
But my concerns disappeared when I came into contact with Marisol's creations.
Because art has the right to exist, even if everything goes wrong. Especially when everything goes wrong. And that Marisol's work, far from consensual and calm, raises vital and troubling questions about our society.
“Marisol was ahead of her time in her commitment,” MMFA chief curator Mary-Dailey Desmarais told me. It was about social issues such as the environment, the role of women, the experiences of marginalized people and immigrants. His works were very influential back then and still resonate today. This is the mark of a great artist. »
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Discussion with the curator of the exhibition Marisol: a retrospective, Mary-Dailey Desmarais
The Valley of the Dolls
To explore the Marisol exhibition is to discover an artist and a woman who regularly questioned herself and constantly changed.
“We ask ourselves: Is it the same artist? His works are so different from room to room,” notes Mary-Dailey Desmarais.
The large, very playful wooden sculptures attract the attention of children and adults alike. There we find a mixture of naivety and cynicism, as in the works Baby Boy and Baby Girl, big babies that lead a critical discourse on the construction of gender. Baby girl holds a doll in her hands. Mary-Dailey Desmarais points out to me that she is Midge, Barbie's best friend. The conservative believes that a decision is not innocent. “She didn't want to be Barbie, she identified more with the person next door, a little bit in the shadow of Barbie, which is still interesting when you think about it. »
PHOTO BRENDA BIEGER, ALBRIGHT-KNOX ART GALLERY/AKG, PROVIDED BY MMFA
Baby Girl by Marisol
This sculpture, undoubtedly the chief curator's favorite, reflects the expectations placed on women and the presence of children in their lives. “It is both enchanting and poignant. Marisol has often been asked the question: When are you getting married? Will you have children? She never married and had no children, but the expectations placed on her were so high that she lived up to them with her art. And all of these questions related to women's identity still concern us today. »
Inspired by Cousteau
In another room where films shot underwater are presented, visitors discover slender fish carved in wood hanging from the ceiling. Other fish placed on a pedestal have somewhat disturbing human faces.
PHOTO DENIS FARLEY, PROVIDED BY MMFA
Inspector Mary-Dailey Desmarais' favorite room
This is Mary-Dailey Desmarais' favorite room. “We live in the late 1960s and early 1970s,” she explains. Marisol left the USA because she was tired of the art scene, the consumer culture and also the discourse surrounding the Vietnam War. She went to Tahiti and practiced diving. She was very inspired by the work of Cousteau. Works from this period speak of the connection between animal and human species. There is also a strong political dimension: the names of the fish are linked to American weapons such as the warship USS Barracuda. She created somewhat monstrous creatures to counteract the effects of nuclear waste on the environment. She was completely in dialogue with the discourses and fears of her time. »
Art critics were surprised when it was Marisol's turn, whose environmental ideas were once again avant-garde, whereas today they are completely obvious.
Marisol also criticized her image. Her work, punctuated by self-portraits, questions her own place as a woman and an artist. “She was a very beautiful woman who was often photographed, some would say at the expense of the rigorous critical attention her practice deserved,” notes Mary-Dailey Desmarais. She didn't like how the media portrayed her as a “Latin American folk artist.” She didn't want to be perceived that way. »
PHOTO HARRY MATTISON, PROVIDED BY BILL KATZ AND THE MMFA
The artist Marisol, in a portrait by Harry Mattison, 1976
The fact that she disappeared from the art scene several times and somehow refused to play the game of self-promotion added to the aura of mystery that always surrounded her.
Put artists in the spotlight
Today, Marisol remains an inspiring female role model for artists in general and women in particular.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
MMFA Chief Curator Mary-Dailey Desmarais
She has this completely innovative and brave side. She pursued her artistic vision. This is a very inspiring message for all women and all people who face doubts. It tells us that you have to have the courage to dare to do things differently.
Mary-Dailey Desmarais, Chief Curator of the MMFA
For every Marisol, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of artists who have yet to experience their moment of fame, the MMFA's chief curator reminds me. “When we talk about pop art, it is men who are in the foreground and are stars. That's exactly what museums are for, to bring back the spotlight on these groundbreaking artists who, like their male counterparts, deserve to be highlighted. »
You won't pass by the exhibition without leaving a trace. We are challenged, touched, delighted. Mary-Dailey Desmarais is pleased with the success of the exhibition (around 60,000 visitors on December 19th), but she is not surprised.
“I believed Montrealers would have an appetite for the discovery, innovation and daring found in Marisol’s work. She has also worked in the world of dance and fashion, two important aspects of Montreal culture. In Montreal there is a penchant for cultural actors who do things boldly and with a certain flair. We like the innovative side and Marisol's commitment and work raises important questions on so many topics. I think there is something for everyone in this exhibition. »