Something kind of cool happened today. I had my first reader from the country Guadeloupe. I enjoy geography as a kind of hobby and was surprised that I didn't know where it was. So I had to look it up, of course! Guadeloupe is a group of French islands of the lesser Antilles of the Caribbean. Shout outs to my reader; I have some roots from that side of the world, myself! Thanks for reading, be it from Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles de Saints or the main islands!
So today I was thinking that I might share a painting with you all, rather than the usual style of post. I remember coming across this one by Hannah Hoch while preparing for an art class I took in college. I got to thinking about it again, and how Hoch had a good point, here.
It's called Imaginary Bride. At first glance, it's kind of this weird, cubist-type of painting, and it's quite unnerving, overall. The eyes have a fixed stare that almost seems like death. But look again. An exclamation point on the male's temple suggests a certain urgency of thought. He's looking above her head, at a light. Perhaps to him it appears to be a halo? The sun rises in her eyes, nature springs up from her, she produces a child and it hovers, in her grasp, near his gaping mouth. She's the supply for his world, his needs-- at least to him.
It seems to be woman as a savior figure for man. It appears, to me, as if the entity outside of himself offers him all resources, but the two outlined, hollow figures inside of him only denote want and lack.
I feel that this phenomena of relying on someone else, maybe a romantic interest, as a source of salvation, comes when we forget how rich, perennial and capable we are in our own lives. For myself, I know that's when I have to re-evaluate how I view myself and what I think I can do for myself, rather than what other can do for me.
Kraftgenie, on blogspot.com wrote an excellent article about Hannah Hoch on the blog Weimar Art. Here Hoch was quoted, in speaking of the Dada-ists, a group of Modern German artists who spoke of the need of liberated women, while still refusing to let many women join their art group. I found it the quote helpful when attempting to understand this piece.
"None of these men were satisfied with just an ordinary woman. In protest against the older generation they all desired this "New Woman" and her groundbreaking will to freedom. But - they more or less brutally rejected the notion that they, too, had to adopt new attitudes."
She notes that their private lives were filled with drama for this reason.
Kraftgenie. "Hannah Hoch- Brushfurlets and Beerbellies." Weimar Art. Blogspot.com, 31 Aug. 2010. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. .
