Medusa’s Ways of Seeing: Perez Art Museum, Miami

Perez Art Museum in Miami had art by

SO MANY WOMEN.

It was an amazing experience to walk into the first gallery and see more than half of the work by women!!!! And this was true throughout—and notably, a lack of white male artists (I counted two).

It was still a white-cubed space (aside from Carlos Cruz Diaz’ immersive light installation, Chromosaturation which was amazing and dizzying; my friend and I in it left)—I would love loved some mixing up of color and display using other forms aside from the minimalistic white wall.

But mostly I was photographing all of the amazingly strong contemporary art by women! A few faves:

ALL of Marisol’s sculptures in Marisol and Andy Warhol take New York (installation below).

Her incredible, wood and collaged media life-sized cubic sculptures steal the show from the all too rehashed Warhol work. Didn’t know much of their relationship, though, was fun to peak into their letters, photos and other ephemera, too.

Gisela McDaniel’s Speaking Seeds (right) so obsessed with this young artist’s feminist figurative work. The artist is from Nebraska like me too! Love her incorporation of collaged elements and Indigenous foods—body is life.

Simone Leigh’s Trophallaxis – oh my! 
As I told my friend, I LOVE this – the metal and ceramic pointed sculptures hung from the ceiling would haunt me if I had it at home, reminding me of the true societal signification of women’s bodies – (particularly black female bodies) it isn’t necessarily pleasant– but it’s so impactful.

Shirin Neshat’s I Am It’s Secret – This tiny self portrait of the Iranian artist includes text overlaid by women, sometimes opposing, referencing notions of feminism and femininity around Islamic fundamentalism. Her work is so close to my heart—(recognizing I am white and would align with the Christian fundamentalism that impacts women in this country in different ways) –using text and highlighting different views—just love…

This work was part of the tremendous exhibit, The Artist as Poet: Selections from PAMM’s Collection, which I could go on about—pairing text and art is my fave!

[Tiny gripe: The solo exhibit of Jedd Novatt’s small sculptures of squares. Just why? Minimalistic art that only speaks to art itself or, I guess, to the space around it / reminding us of our space within it – if we want to give it that, just does nothing for me.]

Squares, when so much is happening in the world…meh…

[Update: I feel really bad for saying that. I’m sure he is a nice man and lots of important intent…just

not my thing.]

Thanks for reading! Come back next week for my review of the Elvis movie! Also I’ll blog about my trip to Miami / Wynwood Walls and Maryland soon too!

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~Sally