Pilar Corrias Gallery

Triumph of Femininity

Criticisms of Paul Gauguin in the art of a diasporic painter

Painting: Gisela McDaniel / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel

    Gisela McDaniel’s exhibition at the Pilar Corrias gallery in Savile Row in Mayfair showcases a collection of paintings of beautiful women in sexually confident poses, with pieces of jewellery attached to their faces. The artist mounts artificial flowers and small objects belonging to her sitters onto the canvas, making her works 3-dimensional, using the space on the sides as the continuation of the painting. 

Painting: Gisela McDaniel / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel

    The series of images and the accompanying sounds focus on diasporic Chamorro women, the indigenous community of the Mariana Islands in the North Pacific, who suffered sexual abuse and Colonial imposition. 

    McDaniel's strong criticisms of Paul Gauguin in her works is of significant importance. The Post-Impressionist was widely known for his fascination with the indigenous women of French Polynesia, who became the subjects of his paintings. 

    It was customary for the European colonists to take young females, often underage, as wives. Gauguin's controversial marriage to a 13-year old Teha'amana, as well as his later relationships, were not legally binding. By today's standards, his approach to young women would qualify as child abuse. As there is no legitimate record of the unions and because of their temporary nature, the artist's debatable private life is often dismissed as fiction, although he wrote about his experiences broadly in the letters to his friends. 

Gisela McDaniel's exhibition at Pilar Corrias gallery / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel

    Gisela puts beautiful women at the centre of her paintings. She also brings the attention back to the marginalised recollections of tribal minorities. Unlike Gauguin, she gives her sitters a voice, asks for their consent and makes their stories personal. She portrays her subjects in spaces that feel safe and inclusive. The pictures are linked to intimate recordings, where private confessions are being shared.

    There is a lot of sexual assertiveness and boldness in the artworks, as if in contrast to the underlying topic of exploitation. McDaniel’s luscious paintings are so suggestive, you almost want to smell the flowers mounted on top of the canvases. Pilar Corrias' gallery forms a stunning background for the elevated art experience. 

Paintings: Gisela McDaniel / Photographs: Agnes Prygiel

    In 1971 an art critic Peter Fuller wrote about Penny Slinger's first solo exhibition in Angela Flowers gallery in London: "It is a documentation of the role of one woman in a world still dominated by concepts of male superiority (...)". The comment is relevant to McDaniel's artistic work today. The difference is that this time it is not just one vulnerable female who speaks up, but many. 

    There is a sense of a collective experience of molestation and violation that women wish to be open about these days, claiming their stories and retelling them through the prism of their sensitivity, owning their physicality and eroticism. The exhibition is a triumph of femininity over the ages of misogyny in art. 

London 22.02.2022

Agnes Prygiel

DeCarava and Wylie

Afternoon at David Zwirner's

Artistically nourishing day out in Mayfair

Photograph by RoyDeCarava

I have a friend who visits London a couple of times a year and is always interested in art shows or doing unique things together. We went to see an exhibition of Roy DeCarava’s photography in David Zwirner Gallery at 24 Grafton Street. It was an artistically nourishing day out in Mayfair. 

Donald Byrd playing for the mountains, photograph by Roy DeCarava

DeCarava used to take pictures of famous jazz musicians he knew privately: Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Donald Byrd, Hazel Scott and others. The exhibition showcases an atmospheric collection of black and white images from the 1950s and 1970s. They feel like a photographic notebook. Amongst perfectly executed shots are under or overexposed sketches, with the main character randomly positioned or out of focus. 

The intimate selection leaves you with a feeling of nostalgia. Fleeting moments recorded by DeCarava follow Monet's artistic legacy. Although he uses photography, some images look like impressionistic paintings, where imperfections and the passing seconds are of significant value.  

Billie Holiday and Hazel Scott in an atmospheric scene, photograph by Roy DeCarava

The exhibition has got some points of reference for every artist, like me, looking for inspiration or connection with the work of those before me, as if they were my mentors. It was interesting to see the private aspects of DeCarava's creativity.

On the top floor of David Zwirner Gallery, there was a small but precious selection of Rose Wylie's work. I wrote about her before, as part of my article about Frieze London 2021.

Rose is now in her late 80s, but she continues working as an artist. Her oeuvre improves with time, like a good wine. She is inspired by cartoons, often combining images with text in her 2D works. Her style is intuitive and sketch-like, capturing a symbolic meaning of the moment, rejecting photorealism altogether.

 

Pineapple by Rose Wylie / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel

Red Girl (no face) and Red Girl (face) by Rose Wylie / Photograph: Agnes Prygiel

David Zwirner presents a smaller version of Rose Wylie's famous pineapple, her primordial paintings,  drawings, and  powerful sculptures. 

Both exhibitions have a common element: they document the artists' creative process, not only the final, best work. It makes me realise the most talented minds in the history have a method of choosing the works they wish to present to a wider public or keep as mental notes for themselves. 

Agnes Prygiel, London 16.02.2022

Hotel Pavot Exhibition

What We Found in Room 202?

The influence of Dorothea Tanning on Marie-Thérèse Ross

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.

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.

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. 

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

I May Destroy You

Defining The Grey Area

BBC series about the consequences of rape

    I find it challenging to see abuse towards women on screen. It hurts me to acknowledge there is still a lot of sexual injustice towards the female population in many parts of the globe, including our backyards. It was one of the reasons why the 2020 series I May Destroy You stayed on my mental to watch list for over a year. 

    Even though the issue of non-consensual intimacy is not an easy one, I am proud of Michaela Coel for finding a non-stereotypical way to speak about it. The series is inspired by her personal experience of rape. The talented author left her mark on literally every aspect of the drama: as the leading actress, writer, co-director and producer.

    I May Destroy You focuses on Arabella, a promising young writer. At an elegant party in an established London club, she is dragged into the toilet and raped by an anonymous guest. She receives professional support from the Police. After many months, however, the investigation hits a dead end. The perpetrator is not found. Struggling to recover from the damaging experience, Arabella fails to finish her new novel and loses her source of income.

    Despite the significant subject matter, the series is humorous. Experimentations with popular

drugs, avant-garde hairstyles, colourful outfits, and the intellectual atmosphere of the publishing 

circle are on the lighter spectrum of the drama. Arabella is not just any girl. We see the world 

through the eyes of an artist and a rising celebrity. 

    The series also explores what happens when initially consensual sex goes wrong: one side starts photographing or filming, forces anal intercourse, avoids using contraceptives or orchestrates a group act. It shows how awkward it is to stand your ground in those situations. The drama particularly shames removing protection without informing the partner about it. It also touches upon the taboo of homosexual rape. 

    In the modern culture, where promiscuity is encouraged, safety is not assured. The series addresses the question of personal responsibility. Should we be more aware of how dangerous some seemingly innocent scenarios may be? Or be protected by a law that makes us safe in our sexual adventures? Not the easiest to watch, but perhaps not meant to, I May Destroy You is a broad reflection on the experience of assault and its aftermath. 

    The drama raises awareness regarding topics that usually stay in the shadows. It shows the importance of discussing the areas of consent in our relationships and when meeting someone for the first time. Rather than going with the flow, naively expecting we like the same things, we need to take time to speak about our preferences. 

    As more victims open up and share their experiences, I wonder where conversations about personal space are taking us? Perhaps, one day, as a result of the public debate we are having, the law will require everyone to sign a consent form detailing the areas of agreement before engaging in any intercourse, particularly with a perfect stranger from a dating app? Would it be an exaggeration? Or a clarification, allowing law enforcement if the line of mutually enjoyable sex is crossed? 

    Like many women forced into intercourse I did not agree to, I hope that there will be more awareness in regards to consent, lifting the stigma of shame, bringing light into the grey corners of human intimacy. Defined laws should protect women and men worldwide from various forms of rape. I believe there will be more safety for us in the decades to come as we continue to speak about our experiences and expect responses. Am I an optimist to believe in a better future and a more regulated law? I want like to think I am only a realist.

Agnes Prygiel / London / 30.01.2022

December in the Stone Space

3-Dimensional Graffiti 

Lewis Davidson's Exhibition

Lewis Davidson “Tags”

    I first came across Lewis Davidson's artworks in November 2021 during his solo exhibition  in the Stone Space Gallery in East London. He presented a collection of graffiti tags sprayed on various surfaces such as doors, concrete slabs and wooden fencing, cut out of the original backgrounds. Displayed in a pristine surrounding of a white showroom, they resembled abstract sculptures. 

    The change of scenery resulted in a different perception of street art. Depending on the angle, images usually restricted to an urban landscape gained a new context, moving the viewers' imagination in a new way.

    I am particularly fond of street art because of its connection with everyday life and people. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself on the line while creating an artwork in the public space, risking being arrested by the police for vandalism, ready to pay the price for making a wall or a fence your own exhibition room.

Lewis Davidson “Combis”

    Davidson has got more exciting projects in his portfolio. Combis is a collection of colourful and playful ready-made sculptures constructed from tiny scraps of plastic found by the artist on the pavement. 

    Connecting with the legacy of Irving Penn, who found beauty and meaning in rejected pieces of consumerism, Lewis forms a dialogue within the texture of contemporary art. There is a link between his practice, works of Marcel Duchamp and early installations by Damien Hirst - projects "8 Pans" and "Boxes" from 1987-88.

    Davidson's ability to present his works in a professional exhibition environment is impressive. He forms an exciting narrative, reflecting on the relationship between an object and its' audience. I will be looking forward to his future projects, following his promising career with enthusiasm.

    Links: https://www.lewis-davidson.com

Agnes Prygiel, London, 20.01.2022