The art of Remedios Varo was one of the most significant contributions to the history of surrealism. The foundation and iconography of her paintings is a unique layer of influences – from medieval history and Greek mythology to scientific research and alchemy, nature, music, and pagan practices. Varo’s reality is rich in fantasies and she presents her picturesque universe with scientific care. It’s a methodical explanation for the mystical.
In Varo’s Harmony, she draws on the structural principles of music, which served as an important symbol of organization in the creation of her pictorial stories. “Music [for Varo] is a deliberately structured structure, and so it acts as an agent in organizing life in several works,” writes art historian Alan Friedman.
Meditative, peaceful energy surrounds a lonely figure (Varo himself), while around her a strange, supernatural chaos occurs: floorboards open and release ghostly sheets of paper, boxes and chest open, opening strange natural ephemerals, birds try to fly away, but fall into the trap of optical illusions, from the walls appear ghostly creatures. “Although there is confusion in this monastic cell, we feel that the advent of harmonious order here is only a matter of time,” said Whitney Chadwick.
The Whitney Biennial is a highly anticipated event in the art world, showcasing the most…
Venturing into unknown territory, artists Katrin Fridriks and Jan Kaláb took a chance on one…
Pushing the boundaries of artistic expression, visionary artist Melissa Herrington’s large-scale, abstract paintings blur the boundaries between mediums,…
Alexandre Iakovleff (1887-1938) - famous Russian painter, graphic artist, master of drawing, portraitist, author of…
Drawing inspiration from a wide breadth of sources, including ancient mythology, fairy tales and fables,…
It is irregular for illustrators to work alongside research and development industries, such as public…
View Comments
Wonderful article on this remarkable artist. I love all the details from the painting, so nice to see them all clearly.