Keyword:

Shame: Work by Roberta Paul

Monday, October 26, 2009 – Friday, January 29, 2010

Shame includes work from Roberta Paul's series Creation : Science. Initially presented to suggest common ground between biblical and scientific views of creation, the work is presented at the Women’s Studies Research Center in light of Eve’s perceived role and its impact on and relevance to contemporary culture.

The paintings present an eloquent and minimal version of Masaccio’s Renaissance painting of Adam and Eve, at the moment of the Expulsion from Eden. A starry sky filled with conceptual versions of various constellations overlies the figures. The repetition of the same figural image – filled with despair, regret, and shame – from one work to the next inescapably emphasizes the psychological ramifications of their fateful taste. In the work, as in the Biblical story, we see Eve as the original femme fatale, embodying wrongdoing and remorse, and leading to the downfall of humankind.

This multifaceted series ignites exploration of shame, from Eve’s decisive act, to the sins committed by religious or scientific zealots throughout history, to modern unscrupulousness. In a conversation with curator Lisa Lynch, Roberta Paul explores the series’ history, meanings, and subtleties.

 LL: What is the basic premise behind Creation : Science, and how has your background informed the series?

RP: Creation : Science wishes to  promote a civil discourse between science and religion. At this very contentious time, we need to have a vehicle in order to have a civil conversation – to talk without screaming.   The idea came to me while I was working on my star series.  I had just finished the piece entitled Castor, Pollux and Petey, which was an abstract representation of a portrait of my parents.  I had loosely taken a star chart based on both my parents’ birthdays and “placed” them into the universe…..This piece led me to numerous other “star” pieces, which in turn led me to wonder about the universal as well as personal “truths”.  I figured there is no better place than to start at the beginning and this led me to the expulsion series.

When I look back and find the thread throughout most of my work, there seems to be a connection to strong women.  I had the privilege of knowing my great grandmother until I was 13 years of age and both she and my grandmother died when they were close to 100. 

I can trace a conscious decision of when these strong women in my life appeared in my work.  It was 1990 and I had been to the Venice Biennale where Jenny Holzer was representing the US pavilion.  Somehow seeing her imagery and viewing the illuminated manuscripts by Fra Angelico conflated into a series of work entitled, (Eh) Rose . The series began as personal commentary, a tribute to my deceased grandmother, but as the work progressed, it became about the fabric of women’s lives. This culminated with the Rose Quilt. 

From there, I used an image of Jayne Mansfield that depicted her with two little girls (my sister and myself, ages 10 and 6 respectively) by her side. This photo of Jayne, myself and my sister began a series of work titled Algiers Bathers that later morphed into a series called Descending the Stare. This work also stemmed from personal experience. When I was a child, my family met Jayne while vacationing. The image of me, my sister, and Jayne, was given to my husband at our wedding.  and for several years led me to explore how we define beauty. [1]

 So, in addition to dealing with a universal need, Creation : Science is also very personal, It deals with my love of science and art, and tying that into figurative art after my father died. I was looking for a universal truth. It was as if I put my father out into the universe, and it became about creation again, about death and rebirth. I wanted to make something that dealt with the most human aspect of creation. This work is a continuation of thinking about where my father might be in the universe, and the act of creation. I followed his hand more, because the images of stars are emblematic of my father.  The series questions: where do we go, and where did we start? 

 LL: In addition to the strong women in your life and your love of art and science, how did your religious beliefs and/or upbringing affect the works’ conception?

RP:  My grandfather was a religious man.  When I was a young child I sometimes would go to synagogue with him. We lived in a small town and the only schul was orthodox so I became versed in the traditions and songs. I feel that some of the lyricism comes from those tunes. The idea of there being something unknowable and deeply spiritual appeals to me.  On the other side of the same coin, I was very aware of where I was the day Francis Collins (scientist and now head of the National Institute of Health) finished mapping the human genome.

 LL: Rather than opting to paint an entirely new image of Adam and Eve, you’ve chosen to appropriate a Renaissance image, giving the figures a fresh, new look with your signature style of mark making. What made you choose Masaccio’s painting of Adam and Eve [from the “Expulsion from Eden” in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence (c. 1424 – 1428)]? 

RP: For the series, I wanted an image about pathos, and Masaccio captured that best. He created an iconic image about the feelings. In Masaccio’s version, both Adam and Eve’s shame is evident, but his is more extreme. She covers her nudity, revealing her shame, but he covers his head, which also implies despair, regret, and sorrow.

 LL: It’s interesting that in each of the images, the constellations are in the foreground, and Adam and Eve are in the background.

RP: This is an important detail. Placing the figures in the foreground would have been obvious; everyone knows that humankind plays an egocentric role. With Adam and Eve in the background, humanity and the cosmos become more evenly weighted.

 LL: Your Self Portrait with Stars, in which you seem to be inhaling or exhaling the stars, seems to be a blatantly personal statement.  At what chronological point in the series did this work come?

RP: Somewhere in the middle of the series, I did the first image of Eve by herself. From there, I created the image of myself in the position of Eve.  Instead of being the victim, though, I gave myself the Creation, with passion; I inhale and exhale the stars, breathing life into and melding with the universe. In doing this, I was reclaiming the role of women as temptress, sinner, owner of shame.

 LL: For this exhibition, Shame, we are focusing on a particular subtheme of the work – an exploration of shame, ignited by your images of Eve as the original femme fatale. Can you tell us a bit more about this?

RP: Adam and Eve are evenly cast out, but we have to acknowledge that it is Eve who gets the blame – she “made him do it.” Where is the free will? This blame perpetuates. They both ate the apple, but the focus is on Eve as the temptress, the instigator.

 LL: Although this theme is thousands of years old, it certainly has contemporary relevance. Can you comment on this?

RP: We have to look at how the theme has been redefined. In the public eye – politics, popular culture –  women now stand by their men. Forgiveness is expected, and blame is overlooked.

Shame is a powerful emotion; it is at the core. We can suppress shame, but when something triggers it, there is an immediate reaction and we can not hide from it. Our cheeks burn red, etc.

 LL: We’re thrilled to be hosting your exhibition at the Women’s Studies Research Center. Has exhibiting in a place where research art and activism converge led you to rethink your work in any way? 

RP: For the past two years I have been exploring identity through the metaphor of animals. These paintings were inspired by a trip I took to Africa in 2007. I will be interested to see where this takes me. 

It seems to me that my series Creation : Science embodies the WSRC motto, where research, art and activism converge. This planning of this exhibition has absolutely made me look at my new work through a different lens. It also makes me realize that I may not be done with Eve as of yet… 

---

Panel and Reception

Monday, October 26, 5:00 pm

Please join us for an exciting discussion and opening reception.

Kniznick Gallery and Liberman Miller Lecture Hall, WSRC

Gallery Talk with Roberta Paul

Thursday, December 3, 12:30 pm

Please join the artist for an informal gallery talk.

Kniznick Gallery, WSRC

Location and Information

Gallery Hours: Monday through Friday from 9am until 5pm and by appointment. Please note that Brandeis University will be close for the holidays on December 24 and will reopen on Monday, January 4.

Kniznick Gallery, The Women's Studies Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453

Located in the Epstein Building, 515 South Street (Directly across from the Brandeis-Roberts Commuter Rail Station).