Dimensions: image: 1250 x 700 mm
Copyright: © Marlene Dumas | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have Marlene Dumas' "Magdalena 4" from the Tate Collections. The monochromatic color palette and fluid brushstrokes lend a somber quality. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The composition is striking. The figure, rendered in varying shades of blue, dominates the stark white ground. Note the deliberate distortion of form, particularly in the elongated limbs and flattened planes. Editor: What is the effect of the distortions? Curator: The deviations from naturalism heighten the emotional impact, creating a sense of unease and vulnerability. The artist compels us to consider the interplay between representation and subjective experience. Editor: That's fascinating! I never would have noticed that. Curator: By focusing on the formal elements, we can begin to unlock the work’s deeper meaning.
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The Magdalena portraits relate to a series of paintings that Dumas exhibited in Venice in 1995. In these earlier works, the artist combined images of the model Naomi Campbell taken from fashion photographs, with Flemish depictions of the repentant Mary Magdalen, her naked body concealed beneath long hair. The fusion of such strongly contrasting imagery is a significant aspect of Dumas' working process. 'I use religious subjects as I use fairy-tale figures, in order to give my audience an easy starting point, a popular reference that relates to all times and that is familiar to most people', Dumas has explained. Gallery label, August 2004
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