What We Found in Room 202?
The influence of Dorothea Tanning on Marie-Thérèse Ross
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| Marie-Therese Ross - "Metamorphosis 2020" / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel |
It is impossible to speak about Marie-Thérèse Ross's Hotel Pavot exhibition in The Stone Space gallery in East London without mentioning Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning.
The author of A Week of Kindness and his talented wife stand out in the history of the 20th century with their oneiric paintings, inspired by subconscious metaphors and powerful dream symbols. While Ernst is known mainly for his 2D images, Dorothea found a way forward in her later practice creating mystifying sculptures from soft fabrics and wool. Fascinating and eerie, they resemble convoluted female bodies. Detached from a personal context, they are symbols of sexuality, pain and transformation.
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| Dorothea Tanning - "Hotel du Pavot, Chambre 202" |
Dorothea Tanning - "Tragic Table" and a fragment of "Hotel du Pavot, Chambre 202"
Legs, torsos and breasts that somehow gained their own consciousness dramatically break through the walls. Formidable mythical monsters come out of the fireplace. Fragments of anatomy turn into furniture. Those unusual objects dominate the Hotel du Pavot, Chamber 202 (Poppy Hotel, Room 202) installation, first exhibited in Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris in 1970.
Tanning's work relates to a childhood song:
In room two hundred and two
The walls keep talking to you.
I will never tell you what they said,
So turn out the light and come to bed
The installation was presented at Dorothea Tanning's retrospective exhibition in Tate Modern and influenced the Art Gemini Prize winner Marie-Thérèse Ross, who recognised her themes in it. In her interpretation of Chambre 202, she filled the room with unique sculptures made of a combination of laminated wood, found objects and up-cycled timber. Her Hotel du Pavot is very different from Dorothea Tanning's.
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| Marie-Therese Ross - "Where nothing happens but the wallpaper" / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel |
Marie-Thérèse Ross's most characteristic artworks resemble pieces of furniture that came to life but lost their original purpose and function. Her crow sculptures and graphics relate to the feelings of premonition, intuition and fear. They are inspired by birds' intelligence and their symbolic meaning in dreams and legends.
It is essential to find common themes in other artists' legacies, but for me, Marie-Thérèse’s works are so original, they exist on their own rights. Her exhibition in the Stone Space Gallery resonates with me on a profound level. I have always trusted that everything we do and say in life needs meaning. I feel insignificant if I fail to achieve my goals or am deprived of something valuable in life. Ross's work proves that there can be good and bad days. We may not always be in the best shape, sometimes lose direction, but still be necessary and valid. Her crows show me that we do not need to suppress our dark emotions but accept their valiant meaning. It brought me comfort to be in their presence.
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| Marie-Therese Ross - "Bent Spine" / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel |
It was a great honour to meet the artist at the exhibition preview in the Leytonstone gallery. I genuinely believe Marie-Thérèse is one of the best creative voices in contemporary history and will continue producing unique shows in the years to come. I would like to thank The Stone Space for curating another great event.
Agnes Prygiel, London, 9.02.2022
Links:
http://stonespace.gallery/portfolio/hotel-pavot/
https://www.mariethereseross.com