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There has not been much certainty in 2021, but one thing has been clearly established: Dame Paula Rego, 87 next month, is one of the most iconic artists of his generation – not in Portugal, his native country, or Britain, his home since the 1950s, but the world. A great, against of the past in the summer at Tate Britain he reminded us of the cruelty, strangeness and beauty of his vision (and, in the words of FT is artistic critic Jackie Wullschläger, as “a lifelong expert on the delivery of unfinished feminine forms”).
If Rego is often inspired by visual aids, drawn from his favorite Portuguese legends, old books or Disney movies, he does not ignore reality: from questions of desire, authority and needs; from articles such as FGM or, more commonly, abortion (the effects of this topic, which were made in the late 1990s, are widely mentioned to help persuade Portugal to change its policies). It is not surprising to think that, after his stellar exhibition at London’s Serpentine Gallery in 1988, he apparently made some masterpieces as reliable. To see his artwork, you think: what else?
Aunty Of Her Son, 2017 © Courtesy of the artist by Victoria Miro
Rego has not stopped working but is delayed by illness, Covid and a fall that has severely injured his face. Despite this he is still traveling to his London studio where he works with his long-time model Lila Nunes; end the day with a glass of champagne. That’s where he was filmed for us, among the dummies and other props that fill his role – where he brings a lot of dreams and nightmares. They also answer our special Q&A questions related to the book release next month as they answer questions from well-known female experts today, from Chantal Joffe to Marlene Dumas via Kudzanai-Violet Hwami – we share some of these. .
In the meantime we can see another display of old works that have not been seen, Forget it, at Victoria Miro in London. Self-portraits, inspired by Rego’s temporary demise; Meanwhile, his Depression list came from one of his challenges. She had several, the youngest when her husband and fellow artist Victor Willing, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease that would eventually kill her in 1988. , to the tyranny of António de Oliveira Salazar. But these things could not be kept for Rego – they are very close to his thoughts, like his pictures. This misunderstanding has held him back for years.
Louis Wise: It is often said that your work is bold. Do you agree?
Paula Rego: I am not a brave person. I am terrified and ashamed, for I have drunk too much wine. Realizing that I could do whatever I wanted with my job helped me. If it had been better, it would have made me very happy.
Your new show is being called Forget it. Are such people the heroes – or the heads – of your work?
I always like to turn things around in their head. Putting the dog in charge, so to speak. It makes for a very interesting story.
Do you see your frustration as part of a creative process? Would it be helpful?
It’s useless, it’s frustrating, but it’s part of the same thing.
Have you associated yourself with your photo? Or is there something more familiar about this genre?
I don’t know if it’s obvious but I didn’t want to do it. I did not like my face.
One of the highlights of your new book is being interviewed by many amazing female experts. Is the bias of art gone now?
I highly doubt it.
La Marafona, 2005 © Courtesy of artist by Victoria Miro
What is it like to be a Dame?
It is wise.
Your dad is amazingly coming back to your memories – and also working on a new show. Has old age changed the way you view him?
Not at all. I still see him the same way. I loved him. I can count on him to save me. He was always very kind to me.
Do you agree with your mother ‘s words that “change is always better, even if it is worse”?
No. Except in my work. There, change cannot fail.
Clothes are very important in your photos – and you and Victor looked like a very beautiful family. Do you like to paint clothes?
I’ve always loved clothing, and it’s one of the few things I look like my mom. He and my father would travel to Paris every year and buy the right season hats. There are also many boxing hats on top of his clothes in Estoril. We had a tailor (Menina Francisca) come home to make clothes for us, since at that time you did not buy ready-made clothes in the shops. My mother bought it Vogue and He explanations that we can be new to.
Do you show off so many animals and animals in your work – which puts you in the spotlight? Did you have pets as a child, or in your family in Ericeira?
I was shy and timid. Frightened by anything, even flies, my mother said, but she thought I should have a pet to keep me company. His name was Ron Ron. I was terrified of him. She was a white-born Scottie and she continued to be kidnapped and held for ransom. He was very strict and stealing did not help. Eventually he jumped from the balcony to death: a suicidal dog. In Ericeira my grandfather had a very old dog named Bruno who had a lot of tics; and then Vic bought Jack from a zoo in Lisbon. Jack was his dog really, very beautiful Portugal dog mountain. He used to chew on small dogs if they got lost in quinta.
You said, “You can punish anyone in the picture.” Does the skill always provide a fair return?
That’s the only way I’ve ever found it.
You have been working on a series of Seven Deadly Sins – which of these have you been most vulnerable to?
I can say it from. When I finished school, I ate some porridge and gained so much that my mother did not even notice it. At Slade I bought a family pack of Neapolitan ice cream cones and ate a lot. I like ice cream.
Do your photos remain a secret to you, or can you explain every detail?
Granted, at times you may look for an old job and then revisit it. Sometimes it won’t be as bad as you think.
Do we still not understand childhood?
Maybe.
Trying to soften and feel?
Not me.
Is photography still “like a man”?
What I feel like as a man.
Do you still have unfulfilled expectations?
No.
Which artist, alive or dead, would you like to drink with a glass of champagne?
Picasso or Botticelli.
What has been your biggest hobby?
Dropping my knickers and my husband.
What experts asked …
In her new book, Paula Rego quotes questions from those who have inspired her around the world
What are your thoughts on beauty in art? In your work and in the lives of others.
I do not have one. I’m not trying to create beautiful things, which are not really fun, and I hope to find beautiful things that others see as ugly.
Is grief a source of encouragement?
No, it is not.
Why not paint nude?
I have done, if the matter is necessary. [The poet] Tony [Rudolf] he was naked Metamorphosis. Clothes are very practical. He says a lot. It shows character and responsibility. A lot of living things are dressed up.
Depression No 3, 2007 © Courtesy of artist by Victoria Miro
Have you found that it helped your frustration, created the artwork, or enhanced it?
It always helps to work.
You have spoken to show Victor all the time [Willing] your artwork to help you / his advice, is there someone else instead?
Unfortunately not, no.
Do you ever feel lonely as a painter?
I don’t know what to say to be helpful. People find their own way. It does not help anyone to be upset. I never feel lonely being a painter, but in the past I lacked other artists to talk to about work.
I love dummies in your work, they are so beautiful and amazing. Do you photograph them, or do they exist for themselves and find their way in your work?
I usually make them, or make them, to do a certain job but then they become actors and play various roles or are used in setting. I really like some, while others chase after me and Lila hides them. He made me an amazing cricket, but it had some bad ideas that I could not use, so he got rid of it again.
Misericordia III, 2001 © Courtesy of artist by Victoria Miro
Do you paint your education the way you do… hoping to demolish oppressive walls and encourage women to feel comfortable in their various forms?
The only thing I have ever done with the hope that it will change the mind is abortion pictures. Otherwise, I paint women the way I see them. Those are the women I know.
I wonder, when you were working in the beginning … was there any proof of what that meant? Are there any expectations that you feel you should meet, and how did you meet or meet them and remain faithful to your work?
My first art education was at St Julian School in Portugal. They encouraged me and allowed me to draw anything I wanted. I filled the hall with artwork. The Slade was very advanced. They wanted me to draw sculptures. I could not go on. I sculpted myself in a corner and hid my pictures behind the sculptures. I did my own thing. “Do you continue to do this?” Said Victor Pasmore, a fierce opposer of my work. It was the only “things” that made sense to me. I could not pretend that I was an ordinary painter. I wasn’t. “Trust yourself,” my husband said, “and you will be your best friend.”
Paula Rego: The Forgotten was published by Victoria Miro on 18 January 2022 for £ 65. Demonstration on Victoria Miro, London, will continue until 12 February 2022
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