Gallery Hopping in New York -- Botero and Lalla Essaydi

"Society Woman" (2003) 

Gallery hopping in New York can be a bit intimidating. Historically, I haven't found gallerists to be particularly welcoming. Perhaps a mere glance revealed I was a looker, not a buyer. But the gatekeepers were downright friendly on my recent visit. Maybe the pandemic shutdown has made them more open to fellow art lovers regardless of the size of their wallets. Whatever the reason, it was refreshing not to feel like I was imposing on them when I ventured in to see the art on display. It made the experience all the more enjoyable. 

I started with the Fernando Botero exhibit at David Benrimon Fine Art, a gallery that owns the largest collection of works by the artist in North America. Botero's work never fails to make me smile. His subjects -- be they human, animals or fruit -- are larger than life and full of character. The Baroque architecture of his hometown of Medellin, Colombia is thought to have influenced him to create his voluptuous figures. His trademark style also pays homage to the work of Old Masters like Rubens. During the Renaissance, carrying some extra weight was a sign of health and wealth. Even with our acceptance today of bodies of all shapes and sizes, I still don't know any woman who'd be happy to be called "Rubenesque." But I digress. 

"Colombian Landscape" (1986) 

When Botero was a teenager, he was leafing through Esquire and came upon some paintings of pins ups done by Alberto Vargas. The World War II-era "Vargas Girls" piqued Botero's interest. Although he said Vargas' art wasn't a lasting influence, those pin ups might have lingered in the recesses of Botero's mind when he created his nudes like "Colombian Landscape." I have some questions about the scene. Couldn't the couple find a more secluded spot further off the highway? Where's their car, not to mention the rest of their clothing? And once they've gone to the effort to strip down in the great outdoors, shouldn't she be paying a bit more attention to her companion? Just wondering. For some more fun tidbits about Botero, click here. My adventure was off to a great start. 

Les Femmes du Maroc: La Grand Odalisque (2008)

My favorite "discovery" of the trip was the art of Lalla Essaydi at Edwynn Houk Gallery. Born in Morocco, Essaydi takes on 19th century male European artists who had a fascination for Orientalism. "Beauty is dangerous as it lures the viewer into accepting the fantasies," she has said. While Essaydi works in a variety of mediums, this exhibit featured only her carefully crafted photographs. 

Essaydi spends an extraordinary amount of time creating her tableau vivants (living pictures). The writing that covers every inch of the scene in her "Les Femmes du Maroc" series is done by Essaydi herself. The words capture her response to what's happening around her or recall episodes from her life. (I wish there were a translation!) The process converts the work from "just" a photograph to a combination of photography and performance art. The black lines around the images are from the film to show viewers that the image has not been manipulated in any way.  

The writing is done in henna, a female medium in the Arabic world that is used in celebrations such as when a woman gets married or has her first child. Calligraphy, however, is traditionally a male skill. By joining the two, Essaydi is subverting male traditions. And then there's the way Essaydi turns the odalisque theme on its head, but that's a rabbit hole to go down another time. 

"Bullets Revisited #20" (2012) 

The exhibit also contained photographs from Essaydi's "Bullets Revisited" series. It's hard to see in my photo, but the mosaic behind the woman and her clothing are created from thousands of spent shell casings. The "dress" this woman is wearing weighed hundreds of pounds and could only be placed on her for the time necessary to capture the shot. 

Essaydi's bullets series began as a response to the Arab Spring uprisings in which women played a major role. They paid a high price for their involvement; public rapes and beatings became commonplace. Essaydi has said of the series, "This is the very first time I am using a visual language that expresses violence directly, and violence projected on women...The women themselves become bullets." I have rarely seen work as powerful. To read a short interview with Essaydi, click here. And for her website, click here. 

Next up: Garmenting: Costume as Contemporary Art at the Museum of Arts and Design