Art Herstory: Sculptress Camille Claudel, 1864-1943

Fascinated with stone and soil as a child, as a young woman Camille studied at the Académie Colarossi. In 1882, Claudel rented a workshop with other young women. Alfred Boucher became her mentor and asked Auguste Rodin to take over the instruction of his pupils. Around 1884, she started working in Rodin's workshop. Claudel became a source of inspiration, his model, his confidante and lover. She never lived with Rodin, who was reluctant to end his 20-year relationship with Rose Beuret. Knowledge of the affair agitated her family, especially her mother. As a consequence, she left the family house. In 1892, after an unwanted abortion, Claudel ended the intimate aspect of her relationship with Rodin, although they saw each other regularly until 1898. 

After 1905 Claudel appeared to be mentally ill. She destroyed many of her statues, disappeared for long periods of time and was diagnosed as having schizophrenia. She accused Rodin of stealing her ideas (which may be true) and of leading a conspiracy to kill her. In 1913 at the initiative of her brother, she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The form read that she had been "voluntarily" committed, although signed by a doctor and her brother.

There are records to show that while she did have mental outbursts, she was clear-headed while working on her art. Doctors tried to convince the family that she need not be in the institution, but still they kept her there. Her mother forbade her to receive mail from anyone other than her brother. The hospital staff regularly proposed to her family that Claudel be released, but her mother adamantly refused each time. Rodin's friend, Mathias Morhardt, insisted that her brother, Paul, was a "simpleton" who had "shut away" his sister of genius. Camille Claudel died in 1943, after having lived 30 years in the asylum at Montfavet and without a visit from her mother or sister. 

- Edited from Wikipedia, LINK

This was originally published on the homepage of Eclectix, 

in the "Pretty In Pink" issue, March. 2012

For the "Pretty In Pink" online exhibit, click here.

Art For International Women's Day

Jane Graverol - L’Esprit Saint (The Holy Spirit), 1965. Jane Graverol was a Belgian surrealist artist. She co-founded the magazines Temps mêlés and Les Lèvres Nues.

For Women's Day this year, I just started researching the web - for art related to women and women's history. Since we only get 2 days a year (Mother's Day being the second), we have to get as much out of it as we can! What are the elements that all women the world over,  have in common? The obvious biological ones - breasts, reproductive organs, menstruation and (of course) a bigger brain. Here follows an eclectic mix of interesting art related to women, grab a cup of java and take a deserved break.

Street mural by Insa in downtown Los Angeles.

Charlotte Newson created this great collage of Emmeline Pankhurst (leader of the British suffragette movement). It is made of a ton of not-so-famous women. You simply must check it out here.

Some vagina based art - castings of the real thing by British sculptor Jamie McCartney

And a felted brooch "Lips" by Winona 

Painted tiki body cast by Ruzic, for the wonderful Keep A Breast Foundation's art auction. For a gallery of other artist's breast torsos click here.

A colorful burst of a painting -"Women's Day Celebration" by Marietjie Henning

  

An awesome advertising campaign, body painted posters for the Breast cancer Foundation. Check out the others here.  Art Director: Andrea Kuo 

Some "Alien" inspired uterus art by AmyGDala-Mars -

One aspect of women's daily lives is the much under-rated tampon. Where would we be without it? An object that more than half the population stares at on a monthly basis - yet it is still considered "gross". What's up with that? So to get it out of the closet a little, here are some fun artworks created with tampons.

 Tampon shoes by Ladypants, Brooklyn Art Project

Vadis Turner - "Tampon Wedding Cake", 2007

The "Tampon Chandelier" of Joana Vasconcelos

And last but not least - a great surrealist piece by Dora Maar, (Sans Titre, 1934), photomontage – a woman famous as Picasso’s muse, but not as an artist in her own right. From an exhibit last year of surrealist women artists that took place in the UK. For a very good read on the show click here.

For International Women's Day, Down-the-Rabbit-Hole With Camille Rose Garcia

One of my favorite artists in the newbrow genre today is Camille Rose Garcia. It warms my heart to see an current day artist actually receiving the cudos and success they deserve, now, - rather than after they are dead. And this artist is a woman, a Hispanic and a rebel to boot! Who better to celebrate International Women's Day with? As well as the timely release of her new book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" with wonderfully warped, fresh, new watercolors based on the Lewis Carroll original. These pieces are much more colorful than Camille's previous works and a bit on the brighter side, due in part to her study of the earlier Disney films.

Camille's modern gothic, dark and beautiful style has brought tears to my eyes. Lucky enough to see her solo exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Art, "Tragic Kingdom" in 2007, I lingered in it for hours, captivated by her artistry. The vibrant colors in some, the vintage browned patina of others. Her black inks were fluid, yet scratchy, often left with free form drips ala graffiti style. The skies dripped with what could be smog, blood, ice or tears. Yet happily- creatures, dark-eyed girls, flora and fauna coexist. Her punk fairy story princesses; the textures of the wood washed backgrounds, all complemented and married seamlessly into the overall image. These were huge masterpieces, filling room after room and wall after wall, with majestic worlds and outspoken social commentary. Not afraid to throw a well-deserved punch at the injustices of our world, she does it with originality and expert artistry.

 A fellow escapee from Orange County, Camille was heavily influenced by the Disney environ and her works twist the sugar coating in a truly unique vision, embracing the beauty but rejecting the hypocrisy within. OC outcasts often referred to the Magic Kingdom as the Tragic Kingdom, finding ways to make light of that confining, oppressive environment. All kinds of pet names for areas abounded, relishing in the fact that they were not always PC. For instance Garden Grove was Garbage Grove, La Habra was Guadalahabra, Fullerton became Fullertone, Anaheim was Anaslime... The repression, bigotry and plasticity of the OC mindset spawned great art and music, it was either rebel or lose your soul. Garcia's style has been called "Disney-gone-wrong" and for many of us it is oh-so-right!

An excerpt by Liesl Bradner from the LA Times blog, "Hero Complex"-

LB: Describe your vision of Alice.

Camille Rose Garcia: The original John Tenniel illustrations were always some of my favorites and those were definitely lodged in my head. I wanted to stay true to his vision but I’m so influenced by Disney. I loved the backgrounds in their early movies, ("Snow White," "Pinocchio") so I watched  a lot of those films to try to get more of a color feel. They were all done in the '30s with watercolor which has that very classic touch. It did occur to me to give Alice black hair, make it more edgy and unique but I wanted to stay true to the classic feel of the book. Using watercolors referred back to the Tenniel work but I added a little bit of a modern gothic touch as well. That was my vision for the work. ...

LB: Of the more than 50 illustrations, do you have a favorite?

CRG:  The Lobster-Quadrille. 

It was new and totally original. Tenniel has never illustrated that scene -- a dance where Alice and friends fling lobsters into the sea. It was a totally virgin experience for me where I had all the other scenes registered in my head. And I managed to sneak a narwhal in the background. 

An excerpt From "I Heart Daily" blog- 

IHD: Has this always been one of your favorite books? 
Camille Rose Garcia: It has definitely been a favorite since childhood. I collect children's books and I have four copies of Alice in Wonderland. This story just lends itself to such rich visual interpretation, the landscapes and situations are so surreal.
 IHD: Did you feel pressure to do the story justice since it's such a treasured piece of literature?
CRG: Yes, I think that was the hardest part -- how to honor the original Tenniel illustrations and trying not to veer too far from the familiar. It's hard to even come close to the original Tenniel illustrations, because they are so iconic. My strategy was to make the illustrations familiar enough to the originals, but to really go wild with the color.

More cool Camille links-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEX4vUWYcr4

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/02/alice-as-a-goth-girl.html

http://camillerosegarcia.com

http://www.hifructose.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=494&Itemid=56


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_dQlNxuEGk&feature=player_embedded