Meghan Borah
Cosmic Dancers (It was the last dance at Danny's and we didn't know it), 2021
acrylic, oil, and wax on canvas
18 x 15 inches
45.7 x 38.1 cm
45.7 x 38.1 cm
Meghan Borah utiliza pintura al óleo junto con el medio de secado rápido de moquillo para crear superficies que evocan las cualidades desteñidas de la mezclilla desgastada, junto con los...
Meghan Borah utiliza pintura al óleo junto con el medio de secado rápido de moquillo para crear superficies que evocan las cualidades desteñidas de la mezclilla desgastada, junto con los patrones de telas antiguas y otros textiles decorativos. Ataviadas con vestidos floreados y botas de plataforma, las figuras femeninas de Borah habitan paisajes de ensueño llenos de caballos, flores y vegetación. A menudo, los personajes de sus pinturas parecen distantes, sus rostros inexpresivos, lo que habla del deseo de la artista de explorar los conceptos de sí mismo, la autenticidad y el desempeño dentro de sus escenarios pintados. Borah cita a la artista, poeta y musa Marie Laurencin (1883-1956) como una pintora a cuya obra vuelve con frecuencia. Durante un tiempo, Laurencin fue la musa de mentalidad independiente de Guillaume Apollinaire y fue una de las únicas artistas femeninas asociadas con la Sección D'Or y el grupo cubista. Las pinturas de Laurencin, centradas en figuras femeninas dedicadas a actividades de ocio, embellecimiento e incursiones en la naturaleza, en su época a menudo se descartaron por representar "todo lo que está mal en el arte de las mujeres" debido a su paleta de colores pastel, estética decorativa sin disculpas y celebración de cosas simples y bonitas como ramos de flores, bufandas sueltas, idilios en el bosque y la libertad de montar a caballo. Pero cuando se ve desde un punto de vista contemporáneo y las nuevas perspectivas actuales sobre la fluidez de género y un amplio espectro de expresiones de género, el mundo pintado de Laurencin retrata una interioridad femenina que puede ser reclamada y habitada por aquellos que se encuentran y se ven a sí mismos en él. Aquí es donde las pinturas centradas en la mujer de Meghan Borah se conectan y expanden el cosmos orientado a la mujer de Laurencin. Si bien las "chicas" de Borah tienden a presentar una apariencia femenina, sus extremidades y rasgos angulosos, sus pesadas botas de plataforma y, no lo olvidemos, su negativa a sonreír cuando se les ordena, especialmente mientras las miran, resuenan con la insistencia del feminismo de que nuestros cuerpos nos pertenecen. y nadie más, y debemos deleitarnos y complacernos en ellos, adornarlos como deseemos y compartirlos con otros si y como lo elegimos.
Meghan Borah uses oil paint along with the quick-drying medium of distemper to create surfaces that evoke the faded qualities of worn denim, along with the patterns of vintage fabrics and other decorative textiles. Dressed in floral dresses and platform boots, Borah’s female-presenting figures inhabit dreamlike landscapes filled with horses, flowers and greenery. Often, the characters in her paintings seem aloof, their faces expressionless, which speak to the artist’s desire to explore concepts of self, authenticity, and performance within her painted scenarios. Borah cites the artist, poet and muse Marie Laurencin (1883-1956) as a painter whose work she returns to frequently. For a time, Laurencin served as the independent-minded muse of Guillaume Apollinaire and was the among the only female artists associated with the Section D’Or and Cubist group. Laurencin’s paintings, with their centering of female figures engaged in activities of leisure, beautification, and nature forays, were in their time often dismissed as representing “everything that is wrong women’s art” due to their pastel palette, unapologetically decorative aesthetic, and celebration of simple, pretty things like flower bouquets, flowing scarves, woodland idylls and the freedom of riding on horseback. But when viewed from a contemporary standpoint and today’s fresh perspectives on gender fluidity and a wide spectrum of gender expressions, Laurencin’s painted world portrays a feminine interiority that can be claimed and inhabited by those who find and see themselves in it. This is where Meghan Borah’s femme-centric paintings connect back to and expand upon Laurencin’s female-oriented cosmos. While Borah’s “girls” tend to be feminine-presenting, their angular limbs and features, heavy platform boots, and–let’s not forget–refusal to smile on command, especially while being looked at, resonate with feminism’s insistence that our bodies belong to ourselves and no one else, and we should revel and take pleasure in them, adorn them as we wish, and share them with others if and as we choose.
Meghan Borah uses oil paint along with the quick-drying medium of distemper to create surfaces that evoke the faded qualities of worn denim, along with the patterns of vintage fabrics and other decorative textiles. Dressed in floral dresses and platform boots, Borah’s female-presenting figures inhabit dreamlike landscapes filled with horses, flowers and greenery. Often, the characters in her paintings seem aloof, their faces expressionless, which speak to the artist’s desire to explore concepts of self, authenticity, and performance within her painted scenarios. Borah cites the artist, poet and muse Marie Laurencin (1883-1956) as a painter whose work she returns to frequently. For a time, Laurencin served as the independent-minded muse of Guillaume Apollinaire and was the among the only female artists associated with the Section D’Or and Cubist group. Laurencin’s paintings, with their centering of female figures engaged in activities of leisure, beautification, and nature forays, were in their time often dismissed as representing “everything that is wrong women’s art” due to their pastel palette, unapologetically decorative aesthetic, and celebration of simple, pretty things like flower bouquets, flowing scarves, woodland idylls and the freedom of riding on horseback. But when viewed from a contemporary standpoint and today’s fresh perspectives on gender fluidity and a wide spectrum of gender expressions, Laurencin’s painted world portrays a feminine interiority that can be claimed and inhabited by those who find and see themselves in it. This is where Meghan Borah’s femme-centric paintings connect back to and expand upon Laurencin’s female-oriented cosmos. While Borah’s “girls” tend to be feminine-presenting, their angular limbs and features, heavy platform boots, and–let’s not forget–refusal to smile on command, especially while being looked at, resonate with feminism’s insistence that our bodies belong to ourselves and no one else, and we should revel and take pleasure in them, adorn them as we wish, and share them with others if and as we choose.