Joana
Rosa
Rosa
Joana Vasconcelos
Paris, 1971
Lives and works in Lisbon
The work of Joana Vasconcelos plays with stereotypes and clichés, bringing together ostensibly opposing categorisations – popular and erudite, traditional and contemporary, kitsch and classical, public and private, humour and criticism. Confronting such dichotomies often lies at the root of her work.
Her sculptures are spectacular, monumental and baroque, expressing exuberant movement, sound, light and colour, sometimes as a cumulative effect. Vasconcelos’ usual practice is to repeatedly juxtapose identical objects to create a new object. The resulting displacement of meaning and the sense of surprise give rise to new narratives and meanings.
The use of pots, cutlery, mirrors, doilies, tights, gems, flowers and feathers – all everyday objects associated with the feminine sphere amid a culture that is essentially patriarchal – raises questions about dominance, subjugation and the invisibility of gender.
Some of the pieces make reference to popular Portuguese culture, especially the fado singing of Amália Rodrigues, filigree hearts from Viana, the Barcelos cockerel, pottery from Caldas da Rainha and crochetwork from Pico. The artist celebrates the collective imagery of such national symbolism and acknowledges the value of the practices, techniques, materials, traditions and rituals involved.
Text originally written for Google Arts & Culture apropos the exhibition “All I Want, Portuguese Women Artists from 1900 to 2020”, curated by Helena de Freitas and Bruno Marchand
Portrait
Cortesia Atelier Joana Vasconcelos © Arlindo Camacho
