Women of our Century – BBC Iplayer
Series 1: Paule Vézelay
Paule Vezelay was one of the first British artists to explore abstraction. At a time when British society was suspicious of modernism, Vezelay became familiar with the ideas of European modernists and forged a significant place for herself among early abstractionists. In addition to being an important painter and sculptor, Vezelay was an illustrator, writer and textile designer.
(Biography – http://jlwcollection.com/jlwcollection.com/Paule_Vezelay.html)
First transmitted in 1984, Germaine Greer interviews pioneer abstract artist Paule Vézelay.
British painter Vézelay was neglected and ignored by the British art establishment for most of her long life, but she can claim to be Britain’s first abstract artist. She was born Margery Watson-Williams in Bristol in 1892, and changed her name when she went to live and work in Paris in 1926. Her studio was a street away from Picasso’s, and she was part of the group of artists who contributed to the revolution in modern art of the 1920s.
She has some interesting things to say – Notes from the programme:
Refer to yourself as a man, never refer to myself as a man, although it certainly would been easier if I was a man
Did she do this because she didn’t want sex to come into the equation
Added the e – suggests feminine
What’s important is the work – is it original, well done
Knew exactly what she wanted to do
Didn’t want to be treated as a beginner at the slade
Independent
Looking for
Got to do a lot of thinking if you want to do something new. The more you think about it the more it changes
Got to work hard at art to be an artist
Got to be able to control it with your hand
Draw you line – the line must be right before you even draw it
Exactly as you intend it to be
Rhythm of line and mass
Curves – why limit yourself to straight lines
Why limit yourself when can have curves and straight
Suspended line in space – the first
Already formed before knew about their work – influence of artists who came to see
All the young men danced with – were killed in the 1st world war
Think would had a conflict – glad you escaped? (Love marriage)
Nice for women to have babies, most women want babies
Mr right man
Wasn’t in love with ones who asked
Encouraged? Parent’s dad yes
Men
Andre Masson – engaged – declaration of intention – changed mind – painful
Fruitful?
It was pleasant,
Who knows his work –?
Hans Arp, who had become a close friend
Great friendship with them both
Influenced each other – yes I think did
Identify with that group – did it help?
Although didn’t discuss it much – work was supposed to do that don’t you see
Why abstract artists keep form – see what others doing, draw or paint because can’t put into words what want to say
Do you think you communicated without words – ‘well it’s easier to write, not easy to choose, but to drawing takes time to get it exactly right
Paul Nash
In order to praise has to say nasty things about unnamed artists
Problem that family is your responsibility
After the war – able to pick up where left off
50 years old – Paris
Abstraction not understood in Britain
What u find pleasing in their lives and form
Directly to the emotions – language appeals directly to emotion
Joy
Enough sadness in real life
Joyful happy pleasing
As they used to
Worst thing – GG – book on women and painting ref.
Student/teacher
Worst – that he would fall in love with you
Safe – sunk if marries
Can’t make rules about it – doesn’t matter
You don’t think of that in advance
For most married women it phases out
Great mistake for a women to marry if she wants to be an artist
On marriage – women artists – if they marry their work gets phased out because ‘they don’t have the time or energy to take their work seriously’ – how can be expected to succeed with ‘
Often women if they marry, have children, their work inevitably gets phased out, takes a back seat because they ‘Don’t have the time or energy to take their work seriously’
How can I be expected to succeed with ‘One hand in the kitchen, one in the studio’! Gwen John
Concentrated, self-possessed – almost arrogant about painting
Ask about wives of artists who are artists themselves
Sophie Tauber-Arp – How can I be expected to succeed with ‘One hand in the kitchen, one in the studio’
Been greater if hadn’t married – came to see Arp – didn’t come to see her
In the end – she was asked to design for print –
Textiles – feminising women’s art – Issue?
What percentage still got – rather be with it rather than the sake of selling it cheaply – I like my paintings
Faith in yourself – never been shaken
Opinion I value – certain amount of confidence
Happy life? – Don’t know what mean by happy – did what wanted to do – names shit jibs
Satisfied u – up to a point
Beyond? – learn as you go along…
