"Abaporu" - The Original 0.5x Picture?
On Tarsila Do Amaral’s “Abaporu” (1928)
When you think of Art History, I certainly don’t blame you if pictures of grandiose European landscapes, or images of portraits of white men, or dramatic depictions of Christian stories are the first things that come to mind—Art History is notoriously Eurocentric.
As the decades pass, the pressure to de-Westernize the artistic canon persists. Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral (1886-1973) is a female artist adored throughout her home country for her radical, artistic talent. Famed for her contribution to modern art during the twentieth century, do Amaral’s Abaporu (1928) is a visual representation of extracting the cultural remains of Brazil’s colonial past and reinventing the remnant legacies into an authentic Brazilian identity.
Cannibalism… As a Metaphor?
The significance of the painting is rooted in the term ‘hybridity’: coined by theorist Homi K. Bhabha, ‘hybridity’ recognizes “moments or processes that are produced in the articulation of cultural differences,” which thus lay the foundation to “initiate new signs of identity,” within environments where both Indigenous and colonial presences exist.
Directly translated, “Abaporu” means “person who eats” in the Indigenous Tupi-guarani language. Do Amaral was inspired by poet (and muse) Oswald de Andrade’s “Anthropofagy” movement, which used the ‘Cannibal’ as a figurative metaphor to describe how Brazilian identity was a hybrid of the diverse cultures within the country. Art Historian Esther Gabara clarifies the ‘cannibal’ process as being a process where artists “devoured the cultures of European, Indian, and African peoples to produce their own”. Considering the context, it is evident that do Amaral took inspiration from the Brazilian legend of the ‘sciapod’ creature that used his giant foot to protect himself from the sun when painting the subject of the composition. Do Amaral’s surrealist construction of a distorted Indigenous figure that has seemingly “devoured” the remnant colonial cultures is the ultimate example of Latin American artists cultivating authentic representations to help hone a distinct national identity.
Part Surrealism, All Modernism
The oil on canvas contains a minimal composition: A nude figure sits atop a green hill next to a cactus with a yellow orb placed between the head and left side of the plant—this could be interpreted as the sun, another natural element, or potentially as a flower, for the right side of the yellow circle is slightly attached to the cactus. The flatness of the painting accentuates the skewed vertical perspective: the enlarged hand and foot, which roughly comprises the bottom third of the painting, contrasts the small head and arm that rests next to the orb. The smooth brushstrokes create a blended, smooth appearance, with this technique subtly illuminating the central foot and arm against the vibrant hues of the landscape. The light source appears to originate from the bottom right corner, and the slight vignette and minimal use of shadows maintains the natural themes of the painting. The vast size of the nude figure of an ambiguous gender makes the subject appear important, yet the distorted depiction emphasizes the non-naturalistic elements of the painting that was found in many surrealist paintings that inspired her artistic style.
Do Amaral Did it First: Brazilian Identity & the 0.5x angle
Do Amaral’s “embrace of the ‘primitive’ aspects of Brazilian culture as a means to counter the [...] continued imposition of European ideas onto its former colonies” is evident in Abaprou (1928) through the ways the construction of her Indigenous, fantastical figure reveals the cultural differences that Brazilian artists ‘devoured’ to construct art that produced an identity authentic to the country’s history.
Tarsila do Amaral’s radical artistic contributions were extremely influential to the modern art period of the twentieth century. However, while her legacy continues to be nationally appreciated in her homeland, it was only in 2018 that the late do Amaral’s work was exclusively exhibited in the United States. Again, it’s no secret that Art History is inherently Eurocentric. I try to have confidence and I really and truly hope that the years to come become even more progressive, and artists, art historians, and art lovers alike make a conscious effort to broaden and diversify the artistic canon to include artists that deserve recognition for their talent, impact, and influence on Art History.
References:
Newsletter adapted from a past essay of mine, but here are the sources from the quotes mentioned:
Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. Oxford: Routledge, 2004.
Gabara, Esther. “Modernism and the avant-garde in Latin America.” Grove Art Online. 7 October 2019. Accessed 23 April 2021.
Greet, Michele. “Devouring Surrealism: Tarsila do Amaral’s Abaporu.” Papers of Surrealism 11, (Spring 2015): 1-39.