Ninguém pediu para eu fazer isso [Nobody asked me to do this], 2022
Solo exhibition at Bananal Arte e Cultura Contemporânea. Curator: Julia Lima
“Bruna Amaro's production began in 2018, the result of a combination of academic research with a long tradition in manual work. In her work, the artist articulates materials typical of Carnival – a party to which she has dedicated her time and involvement for many years –, with research on the history of art and feminism, in a very unique intersectional reading. At first glance, we immediately come across the carnivalesque materiality and craftsmanship, carried out in the extremely skillful handling of satins, sequins, sequins, beads, ribbons and embroidery, in saturated and vibrant colors. They are seductive and fascinating elements, which attract our eyes and fingers through reflections, polychromy and luminance. However, there is much more to this body of work than just luminous skin.
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In most of the objects in this exhibition, there is a strong presence of female images, especially those taken from the history of art. These are not random scenes, but fundamental episodes in research on representativeness and gender in the field. We know, now more than ever, that rubber was the most violent instrument against women artists, often coupled with sexual and moral violations that were already part of the standard package of behavior. So many of them were not even given the chance to try to survive the weight of time, having their presence barred from the gyms and salons and their identities overshadowed by companions, hidden from the credits and “accidentally” forgotten from the books.
Few names escaped this brutal erasure process, such as the Italian Artemísia Gentileschi – honored by Amaro in the red script “Artemísia vulgaris”. In it, the haunting scene of Judith beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes is reproduced. The biblical episode has been portrayed by several painters, but the most radical comparison is between Caravaggio's version (a great Baroque master of chiaroscuro, a dramatic play of light and shadow that is a distinctive feature of the movement and the most memorable feature in his work) and that of Gentileschi. In the first, Judith holds Holofernes' head by the hair with little effort and with the other hand seems to slide the blade of the sword very easily through the general's robust neck, keeping his lap and bare arms immaculate. The second version is fully colored by Gentileschi's personal history, which seems to understand the character's predicate much more viscerally. The artist had been the victim of a rape, and even submitted to torture to prove her claim in court. In the painting, she portrays the passage in a drastically more realistic way: she imprints strength and weight in the gesture, details splatters of blood on the skin and clothing, and even outlines the hairs of the Assyrian's beard through the fingers of the widow who seduces the enemy. to save your people. There are two more works that make up this series, with a second image of Judite and a piece that pays homage to Salomé.
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Extending his investigations into the places and roles of women to a local and current context, Amaro also developed the project “AS PAPANGU”, which culminates in a performance on the last day of the show. This research arose from a trip to the hinterland of Pernambuco, where the tradition of using Papangu masks during Carnival has been nurtured for decades. Used only by the men of the region, the disguises are an instrument of anonymity that allows a party without consequences. Identifying the gender disparity in this practice, the artist proposed to carry out an action that inverts this hierarchy. During the exhibition period, she will create around 40 masks and sew the respective costumes, which will then be used by women invited to play and dance, protected by the anonymity of their faces, but with their bodies as exposed as they want.
Other works use only written language. Color and shape are secondary in banners and banners (typical of street blocks and political demonstrations and protests) that carry words and phrases, sometimes in Portuguese, sometimes in English – or even in both languages, with parallel translations. But the slogans raised on these flags do not always refer us to the original use of the support; on the contrary, they are profound provocations, calling into question the very place from which they came. What do we want to celebrate? and What do we want to celebrate? challenge the very nature of carnival, imposing a fundamental reflection on the evil times we live in and the real possibilities of celebrating, enjoying, enjoying. In other pieces, Amaro uses catchphrases that affront the artist himself, such as “Try again, fail again, fail better”, literally understood as “Try again, fail again, fail better”, referring to the deep difficulties of his craft. ; or the work that lends its catchphrase to the show's title – “Nobody asked me to do that”.
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If no one asked, why do it? Art is the most functionless thing anyone could produce. It does not feed, clothe, store, house or transport. However – and precisely because it has no a priori applicable function – it is perhaps the most essential element to our existence. Those who create, those who are artists, do so despite this condition, believing that what they are putting into the world is the best they have to offer in the sphere of poetry, not utilitarianism. If, after it is finished, the artistic object gains use and becomes merchandise, entertainment, political action, spiritual experience, philosophical revelation, carnival costume or even decoration, there is no problem. That will be your second nature. It is in an earlier stage that the unspeakable resides: in the tiny gap between the elaboration of an idea (or an image) and its execution. Perhaps what differs from all other occupations from that of artists is exactly the decision to do, to consummate what one wants to communicate, even without anyone having asked, and which can only be said through a support such as painting, the artifact. , music or dance. In the case of Bruna Amaro, through sequins, words and carnival.”
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Julia Lima
February 2022
