Adriana Varejão : Cutting through layers of Brazilian History

Abstract

In his discussion of the Baroque tradition, Gilles Deleuze argues: "the baroque refers not to an essence but rather to an operative function, to a trait. It endlessly produces folds" (DELEUZE, 1992: 3). In a similar way, by appropriating disparate references in her work, contemporary Brazilian artist Adriana Varejão endlessly folds the past upon the present, wrinkling the apparently smooth surface of grand narratives.The Entrance Figure series, which will be my focus here, is made up of three paintings created by Varejão between 1997 and 2005. In these 5,20m 2 canvases, the artist references the modern notion of Antropofagia, 1 Portuguese azulejos tradition, and imagery appropriated from Theodore De Bry's Grand et Petit Voyages. In order to untangle the web of references layered in the Entrance Figure series and give insight into Varejão's oeuvre, I will explore the three main themes: the aesthetic of the Baroque, cannibalism, and the female body, exposing their textured structure.