An artwork titled She(ep) had been painted by a Slovene painter Tina Dobrajc in 2014. It was exhibited that year at the artists’ solo exhibition in her hometown, Škofja Loka. A year later it appeared in another solo exhibition titled The mother of the world which took place in Ljubljana, at the Equrna gallery. The artist received recognition for her work, the Rihard Jakopič Award is the highest award in the field of fine arts in Slovenia and Dobrajc has been acknowledged as a young artist in 2015. Despite that, not much has been written about the artist and her work, which is why I have chosen the painting for an analysis.
This thesis focuses on a thorough research of the motives captured in the painting. Firstly, a formal analysis has been done to specify the form and its physicality. Through an iconographic study I have identified the motives and their meaning. Later on, a context analysis helps understand the in-depth meaning of individual motives and the story of the painting as a whole. The artist is reflecting issues of the modern world into her work. The painting is focusing on social structures that are shaping our everyday life, it is questioning the individual's position in relation to tradition, the society’s past and present. The figure in the painting, combined with symbols of Christ, flowers, the red floral flow and the bonnet, is facing cultural beliefs that are having an impact on the individual. It is questioning the relation of nature and nurture. The content is focused on the tainted history of the women’s cycle, on the cultural perception of menstruation.
|
