The master of a workshop is historically often a male artist. In this realm, women would often be present in art as the subject: the object of the male gaze, more often than not, portrayed in a reclining, vulnerable pose. It was, and still is, common for women in art to be sexualised and portrayed for male pleasure. Fortunately, with feminist art, the tide is turning.
As Lawrence Buttigieg has been exploring, there is a very fine line when the female nude is portrayed in art. His latest exhibition, Sacred|Profane, dealt with just that – the difference between portraying the nude with sexual undertones as opposed to a goddess or deity; that is, the woman who is in control rather than helpless.
Artist-model relationships are certainly worth exploring in the history of art. An artist like Buttigieg is very much aware of the way he portrays Idoia, his favourite model who he has collaborated with since 1998, and the other women he works with.
This is the case not only in the manner in which the woman is depicted but also because he is aware of breaking down the notion of the male gaze when confronted with the female nude. Thus, significantly, the artist presented himself as a subject, in the nude, alongside his female models.
These models are his main subject matter, a subject that he keeps revisiting. He does this in the same way that an artist would revisit a landscape that inevitably changes over time, be it throughout the day, the seasons and the years. So does the model, and a pregnant woman also served as a model for the artist.
This intimacy between artist and model unfolds in the studio, a space which consequently becomes in itself a haven where this relationship thrives, and which the artist jealously guards. Buttigieg has allowed a relationship to be built with a few models that he revisits in several of these works.
Intimacy between artist and model unfolds in the studio, which becomes a haven where this relationship thrives, which the artist jealously guards
The works that formed part of Sacred|Profane were executed in a variety of media, but paintings took pride of place, be it in the large paintings, as well as in the three-dimensional body-themed box-assemblages and tabernacles that viewers could interact with and open to show different views, revealing several levels of intimacy. In a similar vein, mirrors facilitate the portrayal of several other views of the same model.
Within these masterfully crafted boxes one could explore more of the human form. These also included several objet trouvés, such as items of personal adornment housed within.
These box-assemblages became intimate spaces not only because of the different views of the body that were portrayed, but also because Buttigieg created modern-day relics in the small containers that housed different body parts.
Moreover, plaster casts taken directly from various body parts – and which were painted to look even more natural – were presented alongside paintings of the same figure. Thus, Lawrence Buttigieg made the two-dimensional visible also in three dimensions. These casts were, of course, made possible through the collaboration of both artist and model.
Sometimes the female model appears crucified, but she is always in control. Sacredness was also emphasised through the representation of religious objets d’art and the omnipresent crucifixes. Once again, Buttigieg brought together the sacred and the profane.
The works displayed presented different states of progress. Several of them were purposely left unfinished, such as one of the large paintings on display that even had some text emblazoned on it, among which is “flesh was made word”, that the artist was to elaborate upon but then decided otherwise.
The exhibition was based on an intellectually based research question that the artist investigated through understanding several historical women and their writings and art, including especially the writings of female medieval mystics such as Angela of Foligno (1248-1309). Through this research, Buttigieg, a male artist, gives the woman – habitually the inferior gender in art, who is comfortable in her nudity – predominance.
Sacred|Profane had a strong concept that has been developed over a number of years, with the earliest work exhibited dating to 2008. Its stimulating subject matter went beyond what is portrayed on the canvases. This exhibition was, in fact, part of Buttigieg’s practice-led doctoral research which he presented in 2014 at Loughborough University, but it is also part of his ongoing quest for research into the woman in art.
It was an extremely well-presented exhibition with adequate space devoted to the displayed works that were well lit and at times partly secluded behind drapery hangings.
Sacred|Profane, at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, was a bold move and a successful one at that.
More information can be obtained by visiting www.aboutlawrence.eu.