I fell in love this year, 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 corridor of the Montreal metro. His work is the subject of a fantastic exhibition presented at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA).
Marisol Escobar died in 2016 at the age of 86, but her work is so current and relevant that it would not be out of place in an art gallery on Boulevard Saint-Laurent.
His creations echo current hot issues.
It was therefore to discuss the artist and his work that I met with the curator of the exhibition, Mary-Dailey Desmarais. I was curious to learn more about the Museum’s intention in programming this exhibition.
That said, I admit, I had a little doubt when I went to the museum. At the Sherbrooke metro station, dozens of FAE strikers, recognizable by their red tuques, went to Square Saint-Louis for another day of demonstration. And between the Jean-Talon and Lucien-L’Allier stations, I counted at least five homeless people huddled on the ground. Everywhere, precariousness jumped out at me and suddenly, I found that my idea of going to talk about art in a museum was perhaps a little too comfortable.
But my hesitations disappeared upon contact with Marisol’s creations.
Because art has the right to exist even when everything is going wrong. Especially when everything goes wrong. And that Marisol’s work, which is anything but consensual and peaceful, poses essential and disturbing questions about our society.
“Marisol was ahead of her time in terms of her commitment,” MMFA chief curator Mary-Dailey Desmarais told me. It dealt with social issues such as the environment, the role of women, the experience of marginalized people and immigrants. His works were very impactful at the time and still resonate strongly today. This is the mark of a great artist. »
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Discussion with the exhibition curator Marisol: a retrospectiveMary-Dailey Desmarais
The Valley of the Dolls
Browse the exhibition Marisolis to discover an artist and a woman who regularly questioned herself, and who was in constant transformation.
“We say to ourselves: is it the same artist? his works are so different from one room to another,” notes Mary-Dailey Desmarais.
The large, very playful wooden sculptures attract the attention of children and adults alike. We find there a mixture of naivety and cynicism, as in the works Baby Boy And Baby Girl, big babies who carry a critical discourse on the construction of gender. Baby Girl holds a doll in his hands. Mary-Dailey Desmarais points out to me that it is Midge, Barbie’s best friend. A choice that is not innocent, believes the conservative. “She didn’t want to be Barbie, she identified more with the person next door, a bit in Barbie’s shadow, which is still interesting when you think about it. »
PHOTO BRENDA BIEGER, ALBRIGHT-KNOX ART GALLERY/AKG, PROVIDED BY THE MMFA
Baby Girl by Marisol
This sculpture, undoubtedly the chief curator’s favorite, speaks to the expectations placed on women and the presence of children in their lives. “It’s both adorable and poignant. Marisol was often asked the question: when are you going to get married? Will you have children? She never married or had children, but the expectations placed on her were high enough that she addressed them through her art. And all these questions related to women’s identity continue to resonate today. »
Inspired by Cousteau
In another room, where films shot underwater are presented, the visitor discovers, suspended from the ceiling, slender fish carved in wood. Other fish placed on a base have somewhat disturbing human faces.
PHOTO DENIS FARLEY, PROVIDED BY THE MMFA
Commissioner Mary-Dailey Desmarais’ favorite room
This is Mary-Dailey Desmarais’ favorite room. “We are in the late 1960s, early 1970s,” she explains. Marisol left the United States, she was fed up with the art scene, the consumer culture and also the discourse around the war in Vietnam. She went to Tahiti and practiced diving. She was very inspired by the work of Cousteau. Works from this era speak to the interconnection 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 beings to challenge the impact of nuclear waste on the environment. She was entirely in dialogue with the discourse and fears of her time. »
Art critics were taken aback by Marisol’s turn, whose environmental thoughts were, once again, avant-garde whereas today they are perfectly obvious.
Marisol was also critical of her image. Her work, punctuated by self-portraits, challenges her own place as a woman and artist. “She was a very beautiful woman who was photographed a lot, some would say at the sacrifice of the rigorous critical attention that her practice deserved,” observes Mary-Dailey Desmarais. She didn’t like that the media portrayed her as a “Latin folk artist.” This is not how she wanted to be perceived. »
PHOTO HARRY MATTISON, PROVIDED BY BILL KATZ AND THE MMFA
The artist Marisol, in a portrait by Harry Mattison, in 1976
The fact that she disappeared from the art scene on several occasions, refusing in some way to play the game of self-promotion, accentuated the aura of mystery that always enveloped her.
Spotlighting artists
Even today, Marisol is an inspiring female role model for artists in general, and for women in particular.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
MMFA Chief Curator Mary-Dailey Desmarais
She has this completely innovative and courageous side. She pursued her artistic vision. This is a very inspiring message for all women and for all people who face doubts. She tells us that you have to have 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 not had their moment of glory, the MMFA’s chief curator reminds me. “When we talk about pop art, it was more the men who were highlighted and who were stars. This is precisely what museums are for, to put the spotlight back on these pioneering artists who deserve, like their male peers, to be highlighted. »
You don’t leave the exhibition unscathed. We are challenged, touched, charmed. Mary-Dailey Desmarais is delighted with the success of the exhibition (around 60,000 visitors as of December 19), but she is not surprised.
“I was convinced that 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 love for cultural actors who do things boldly and with a certain flair. We like the innovative side, and Marisol’s commitment and work pose important questions on so many subjects. I think there is something for everyone in this exhibition. »