Woke up at 7am to finish up studying for Health Care Systems exam at 9am. Took my grand old time writing an essay about why the single-payer reform option for the US health care system is theoretically so much stronger in addressing both insurance coverage problems and cost-containment problems than the recently passed health reform bill, but is sadly also totally politically unfeasible for now. Then spent the next 1.5 hours writing evaluations about my experience in Madrid and also a very carefully crafted thank you letter (in blue pen) to Dr. and Mrs. Bing for all the opportunities they so generously provided. Then I proceeded to walk home from the institute in the glorious sunshine one last time, stopping in the Zara store on Calle Serrano to buy a few "souvenir" articles of clothing for myself. At home, I finally got around to writing some postcards, then had lunch (brown rice with vegetables, fresh fish and an orange) and then mosied through the park to the Thyssen museum. After spending all quarter studying "la representación femenina" I just couldn't leave Madrid without seeing the Heroína exposition jointly hosted by the Thyssen and CajaMadrid.
Heroínas:
Very interesting collection and arrangement of paintings here! I wouldn't exactly agree with the exposition title (too many works depicting Greek goddess Atalanta fumbling around for those ridiculous golden apples for one thing...) but I did enjoy the thematic groupings and the interesting audio commentary. The museum explains the exposition as one of "strong women"... starting with physical strength in the Thyssen portion and moving on to mystical and spiritual strength in the CajaMadrid portion. Anyway, in the Thyssen the exposition started with solitary women: first, a giant statue of a woman with exaggerated womanly proportions and then a sturdy statue of Penelope, standing, waiting for Odysseus to come home. So, just as the story of creation always starts with Adam, we begin this discussion of the heroine talking about the masculine hero and the woman waiting for him. I did like, however, how across from this statue was the Edward Hopper piece Hotel Room from 1931 which depicts a lone female traveler, holding a train time table and sitting on the newly-made bed in a brightly-lit hotel room. I always like Edward Hopper pieces, and I think this one especially resonates with me because of my own experiences being a solitary traveler, or just being en route.
Next was a room called "caryatids" (the sculpted females who serve as architectural pillars on the Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis at Athens, which Rachel and I just visited 3 months ago!) depicting 19th century peasant woman working in the fields, displaying strength, supporting the family farm, but always subjected to the male farmer, working under his orders or bearing some enormous weight on her head. The idea is that these women are the pillars of strength in a society but ultimately always locked in servitude.
Next was a bizarre room of "baccantes" -- the females of greek mythology who followed Bacchus around, sometimes breaking into lunatic dances or banding together to murder Orpheus in a fit of rage... lots of violent and erotic imagery and "rebellion" and "empowerment" (Rodin's headless female sculpture was particularly alarming) and women who I wouldn't exactly consider heroines but oh well. At times I wondered if the museum curators had attempted to get other images but had to settle for second choices in some cases? Some things seemed to be a bit of a stretch to me. However, I really liked the work by Piplotti Rist Ever is Over All from 1997. It was a film depicting a pretty brunette girl in blue dress and red shoes (Wizard of Oz?) dandily skipping down the sidewalk with a radiant smile and giant Indian Paintbrush flower (Castilleja...?) in her hands. The film was sort of slow motion with some music playing until suddenly she just whacks the window of a parked car and glass shatters everywhere and then she continues skipping and smiling until she whacks another one! This might have been my favorite piece of the whole exhibit haha... just so much fun to watch!
Afterwards was a room of athletes (the Atalanta and Hipómenes painting by Guido Reni is beautiful but definitely representative of the idea of heroine to me...). There was some grand language about how women in Victorian England were using their archery lessons to "conquer their social and political rights" but again, stretch. I did like the Diana painting by Rubens though and later there were some very cool photographs of women soldiers. There was a giant photo of a woman's face in profile with a little plastic army man balancing on her nose and giant bold text on the side: Over My Dead Body. Also intriguing collection of photos of undergarmets/corsets and armor -- the idea of what's vulnerable, what needs to be protected, what needs to be molded.
After the Thyssen I headed out towards Sol, stopping at an exhibition called Libres para pintar of Spanish art from the 1980s. "Common demoninator" = libertad and excitement about the new democracy. I think my favorite picture was of Carmen Polo, widow of Franco, from 1978 -- a very rounded-geometry-style of painting, and I think I saw the Madrid skyline in the shadows of her teeth.
Continued on my way to CajaMadrid where the Heroína exhibit emphasized other kinds of feminine strength -- quite a number of pictures of Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Joan of Arc. Also "magas" (magicians) and hysterical women and Sapphos (Greek poet of 7th century BCE). I'm always amazed by how many people visit the exhibits--CajaMadrid was absolutely packed with people. I liked the figures of PreRapahelite John William Waterhouse (PreRaphaelites wanted to return to the abundant detail, intense colours, and complex compositions of quattrocento Italian and Flemish art). Very tall, elegant, regal women in these paintings. The next room was full of "readers" -- women reading, totally absorbed in the world of their books, undisturbed by the painter voyeuristically watching. Books suggest an escape from the daily life, domestic obligations, a "room of one's own". Next, in the room of "mystic" women there were some really amazing photos by Julia Fullerton-Batten of women jumping or falling in midair, the scene extremely brightly-lit and often full of bold dramatic colors. I found her website, which features some of the paintings (I like the bamboo one especially): http://foco.me/julia-fullerton-batten/
Finally, on the top floor was the collection of self-portraits by women artists, often of themselves painting or drawing. There was Sofonisba Anguissola, Artemesia Gentileschi, Marie Bashkirtsheff, Berthe Morisot, and finally, Frida Kahlo. Overall, I really enjoyed the exhibit -- perfect culmination of a quarter of "la representación femenina". Afterwards, I went to the Bike Spain office to pick up maps and train tickets for our upcoming trip north. Then went for a run through Retiro while watching the brilliant colors of dusk settle in the sky. Then home for dinner and preparing to pack up! What a full day.
Heroínas:
Very interesting collection and arrangement of paintings here! I wouldn't exactly agree with the exposition title (too many works depicting Greek goddess Atalanta fumbling around for those ridiculous golden apples for one thing...) but I did enjoy the thematic groupings and the interesting audio commentary. The museum explains the exposition as one of "strong women"... starting with physical strength in the Thyssen portion and moving on to mystical and spiritual strength in the CajaMadrid portion. Anyway, in the Thyssen the exposition started with solitary women: first, a giant statue of a woman with exaggerated womanly proportions and then a sturdy statue of Penelope, standing, waiting for Odysseus to come home. So, just as the story of creation always starts with Adam, we begin this discussion of the heroine talking about the masculine hero and the woman waiting for him. I did like, however, how across from this statue was the Edward Hopper piece Hotel Room from 1931 which depicts a lone female traveler, holding a train time table and sitting on the newly-made bed in a brightly-lit hotel room. I always like Edward Hopper pieces, and I think this one especially resonates with me because of my own experiences being a solitary traveler, or just being en route.
Next was a room called "caryatids" (the sculpted females who serve as architectural pillars on the Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis at Athens, which Rachel and I just visited 3 months ago!) depicting 19th century peasant woman working in the fields, displaying strength, supporting the family farm, but always subjected to the male farmer, working under his orders or bearing some enormous weight on her head. The idea is that these women are the pillars of strength in a society but ultimately always locked in servitude.
Next was a bizarre room of "baccantes" -- the females of greek mythology who followed Bacchus around, sometimes breaking into lunatic dances or banding together to murder Orpheus in a fit of rage... lots of violent and erotic imagery and "rebellion" and "empowerment" (Rodin's headless female sculpture was particularly alarming) and women who I wouldn't exactly consider heroines but oh well. At times I wondered if the museum curators had attempted to get other images but had to settle for second choices in some cases? Some things seemed to be a bit of a stretch to me. However, I really liked the work by Piplotti Rist Ever is Over All from 1997. It was a film depicting a pretty brunette girl in blue dress and red shoes (Wizard of Oz?) dandily skipping down the sidewalk with a radiant smile and giant Indian Paintbrush flower (Castilleja...?) in her hands. The film was sort of slow motion with some music playing until suddenly she just whacks the window of a parked car and glass shatters everywhere and then she continues skipping and smiling until she whacks another one! This might have been my favorite piece of the whole exhibit haha... just so much fun to watch!
Afterwards was a room of athletes (the Atalanta and Hipómenes painting by Guido Reni is beautiful but definitely representative of the idea of heroine to me...). There was some grand language about how women in Victorian England were using their archery lessons to "conquer their social and political rights" but again, stretch. I did like the Diana painting by Rubens though and later there were some very cool photographs of women soldiers. There was a giant photo of a woman's face in profile with a little plastic army man balancing on her nose and giant bold text on the side: Over My Dead Body. Also intriguing collection of photos of undergarmets/corsets and armor -- the idea of what's vulnerable, what needs to be protected, what needs to be molded.
After the Thyssen I headed out towards Sol, stopping at an exhibition called Libres para pintar of Spanish art from the 1980s. "Common demoninator" = libertad and excitement about the new democracy. I think my favorite picture was of Carmen Polo, widow of Franco, from 1978 -- a very rounded-geometry-style of painting, and I think I saw the Madrid skyline in the shadows of her teeth.
Continued on my way to CajaMadrid where the Heroína exhibit emphasized other kinds of feminine strength -- quite a number of pictures of Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Joan of Arc. Also "magas" (magicians) and hysterical women and Sapphos (Greek poet of 7th century BCE). I'm always amazed by how many people visit the exhibits--CajaMadrid was absolutely packed with people. I liked the figures of PreRapahelite John William Waterhouse (PreRaphaelites wanted to return to the abundant detail, intense colours, and complex compositions of quattrocento Italian and Flemish art). Very tall, elegant, regal women in these paintings. The next room was full of "readers" -- women reading, totally absorbed in the world of their books, undisturbed by the painter voyeuristically watching. Books suggest an escape from the daily life, domestic obligations, a "room of one's own". Next, in the room of "mystic" women there were some really amazing photos by Julia Fullerton-Batten of women jumping or falling in midair, the scene extremely brightly-lit and often full of bold dramatic colors. I found her website, which features some of the paintings (I like the bamboo one especially): http://foco.me/julia-fullerton-batten/
Finally, on the top floor was the collection of self-portraits by women artists, often of themselves painting or drawing. There was Sofonisba Anguissola, Artemesia Gentileschi, Marie Bashkirtsheff, Berthe Morisot, and finally, Frida Kahlo. Overall, I really enjoyed the exhibit -- perfect culmination of a quarter of "la representación femenina". Afterwards, I went to the Bike Spain office to pick up maps and train tickets for our upcoming trip north. Then went for a run through Retiro while watching the brilliant colors of dusk settle in the sky. Then home for dinner and preparing to pack up! What a full day.
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