brightness begins: encounterlng mortality in Jay DeFeo`s last paintings

Richard C5ndida Smith
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
The light foot hears You and the
brightness begins: encounterlng
mortality in Jay DeFeo's last paintings
1l
ffw DEFm
mnmfficr ml
i@dtr[ulfurnie
mM,A.
in t
rmow iun So
rimrrrr
ABSTRACT
RESUMO
pl5stica
Este ensaio examina o trabalho da artista
os
Jay DeFeo (1929-1989), completado durante
iltimos dez anos de sua vida' Categorias como
envelhecimento, mortalidade e maturidade artistica seo analisadas sob a 6tica da criaESo ap6s
(1
929-
989) completed in the last ten years of her life'
The categories agin9, mortality, and maturation
are examined as distinct lenses for analyzing
work of an artist past the age of fifty'
c
mliailfillllmfriPfs\
The essay examines painting by Jay DeFeo
1
shc
the
DeFeo's
]Mfuu&und
otffiud
q6cr
@dMeEe-
Ir
tmmM'fiEllli
rrmpgiodlfrfirq
last paintings are read as evidence of the con-
mffiiitr@itrit
flicting subject positions that family, friends, and
rtm'nr-rnrrrlr;nq
conflitantes impostas pela familia, pela profissSo
profession established for an American woman
mdd in p
e por amigos es artistas que viveram e produzi-
artist in the se€ond half of the twentieth century
os cinqiienta anos de idade. Seus
iltimos qua-
dros seo vistos como evid6ncia de subjetividades
nlr"orn.ri$
en d
,dflilrmiimrnrg
ram durante a iltima metade do s6culo XX'
i
&
o$mfofr&
p
To hal
- 4iiirnng so
We ffircr
nmd w@rtcl
@Smm@,ring
mrmmr6ffii
f RANSIT CIRCLE V,2 1 NOVA SiRIE "
2OO3
lllltillllliuluetNilrr
frn0m +G
tllrus eprpu9f pJeq)u + sNl938 sslNlH9tuB lH1 oNV
nOA SUVIH
IOOj
_-r
-
',.8urag,, Jalorun ol luaruanouJ srr{t uI ',,8uiag3o 3uraq,, ar1l ro ,,s8urgtJo 3-.-j-a:d ot Sururor r,, se raSSapraH unrtry,{q paugep arurr q8norqt Sur,toi: -,
ssaro.rd
t
re 3ul1oo1 JoJ sesual Surlse.nuoc aeJr{l sE a,r.ras
laqa
'[4t1at"tott, :-,-,
ouoxtrylnl?tu
'3ut3y - stdeluotr paryI lgurruauadxa lnq trurtsrp aal{r :: :,:
ot luer I'sarets petrun II rElN pirolN-rsod er{tJo suone]al pnos Surr---:,
-sJapun JoJ srs"q e apr,r.o;d s8unurcd Jorl .^ oq puetslapun or ulSaq or
'sar?rlJo tas euo eq utf s8urrured q)1q.,
strqel{ 'atellnlur larp srrqrq eq} pue suon?leJ lerf,os tnoqe a;e uone8ns:.--'
lur e,tlrp ter{} suonsenb arp 'llntuar qlauue,^at aqr Jo asrnor arp 8ur:-:
saltls perrufl aqt ur peJJnlf,o rerp sa8uegc 1erf,os pu" Ierntlnf ar{t rlr pl::-etur uerJotslr{ E sV 'pessnrsrp a Eq slnrJr ,(ueru grrqzor 's8unured ur pli eqt or uonEIeJ Jar{ perelnrr}Je ar{S'sruJoJ a,rrssardxa tueJelJrp ur uonEr-::
-erder-y1es s,pnprlrpur uE sllalJe lrrcrTdrrpur qons ^/y\oq pue senrlnrarc-:
8urdde1ra,r.o 3o uralqord eqt ']uerun8rc trru yo rcadse ler]uer aqr Suiprt-;llreprrr:rd'sp.rr8ar lueru ur arnteruaJd tqnop ou 'elnrtuat a:e slrrruar,iu; 'aru JoJ [Erra]Eur.{\eu uo Sunpnor ure 1 'sreal rsEI laq Surssnosrp u1 'a8ap:sllrry re uEJo rossaJord e seznr aqs '686I ul 09Jo a8e arp re reruerJo p: aqs ueq,^a pue '.roer?r rar{Jo grnru Sulmp rq8nzr eqs 'rat{ papnle pneqrr-- aule4, Jo uJo>lueqerq pleqrDT Jo ssacfns [prf,Jeururoo er{t Jr uala 's.rarui. j
,
'J
nlua) qlatluar,.+
-eLrJoM ue)uautY
:ue'spuaurr',{1rwe.
-JOr aLll ]O alUao
s,oa1a6 i{gr1 1o
a
:q1 6urz,{leue ro1 s
:orlernleu; pue
"r.1
a1r1
raq 1o stea,{
626
L)
u:
oajac
^er.{
parrurp" ,{grrrrrn put u.^ oul-lsaq s.uor8al al{t Jo euo euJerag aqs '?::-''
,{eg aql ul aJII ernua rar{ ruads aqs '996I ur. EruloJrp3 urerpnos ur.i.-,
Jauq E puz T;6I-IE6I ul adorng ur u;nofos E uro5 aplsv"IE6I ul'y'j";
uE pu€ 0g6l ui rre urv'g e paraldruoo eqs eraq,u (alalrag '{EluroJlle^
-\lrsla,\rua rqr rE ruePnls E sE^\ oecec 'esJnu E sE Pe>lJond. og,^ JaqloL-_
-Io
al3urs e,iq 'erurogrp3 '?sof uES ur pesrpr pue 6Z6l ut. ulog se,^a oagaq -i:;
sOu
L
one moves away from the person and the merely personal to engage the
"thingly" qualiqy of actualiry. In his essay "The Origin of the \fork of Art"Heidegger argued that the things humans create revealed the worlds within
which being dwells. Art work is a privileged record of the movement of
exisrence from raw potentialiry to a set ofinexorabilities congealed in objecu
that in-form a person's life.t In DeFeo's case, I argue that "thing-ification"
effected through art is the key for understanding mortality as a social relationship rather than as a biological or even psychological event. By "life''
and "living", I mean the configurations of social relations that structure
habits developed across a lifetime. It is a fearsome irony that such habit-.
become what we know of people on an immediate, everyday level. As DeFeo
confronted the limits of her own life, she put the habits of family and sexualin
behind her to inhabit more fully the professional institutions that made her
work, hence the life she chose, meaningful.
,u(mflflii- :rlf,
fiiijummilirtlli
nliiiilf
tirlS
sdto,n w
tjfllX
ri,ll]...i
1.{:r:.
r.[-
flh.c r*-s
u:,fiT"iJri
rl[lIIl"a
:i]l:
flXlLi*{-
r'ltijlIFrr
::
trflf.trh:
2
-t
of the social process sometimes called aging, sometimes
'i7hat
maturation, and in other cases mortaliry in the life a mid-rwentieth-centun-
Slt:tisr'
American painter?
As I examined DeFeo's correspondence, I noticed a marked change in
letters she wrote after 1970 (that is, after she turned forry). Her letters from
1970 to her death in 1989 show continuous, p€rvasive concern about exhibiting her work, about receiving appropriate appreciation for what she had
done, about doing more to ensure a future for her work. She was not being
responsibie to her paintings if she did not pay attention to getting them
4lllgfr; i
are indices
l'im:
E;
,,1[J
t]uT(l
ffi
f tr
uelh
-:
ilrrn,*'
,-
[Idr-*
shorvn. These topics and this perspective were absent from her letters before
19-0. Issues of exhibition and promotion were occasionally mentioned in
her earir- correspondence, but as practical problems demanding immediate
action - or often, in her case, resistance. After 1970, she wrote of herself as
producing an elture, and she demanded that friends, colleagues, and critics
see her paindngs in the context of a career. In a letter from 1974, DeFeo
insisted to an author who was working on an article about her, 'A really
meaningful essay would depend upon the thoughtful study of all of my
'
HEIDEGGER, Martin. "The origin of the work of art". Em: Basic uritings. New York:
Harper and Row 1977, p.143-88.
TRANSIf CIRCLE u2 * NOVA SERIE * 2003
,[i
-'lll]le
.ll-]ldL t
-lr"1r
.lj
.l:
mg-
qilws eprpug) preqrlu
*
sNl9l8 sslNlHgluS lHl oNv no^ srvlH
:ProJxO's&uuta d t w7
s o7
rool
1H9ll 3Hr
aSuq a t1t17y
'
LL6 l2,nProJxo
slq IlIorC
Sraqurer5 oe'I l?ql uellrJ- uo rrnDrl
'oe'I 'DUSSNIAJS uI PalIf, 'C96I ulpreaq
',fur:qr1
uon.,'g
os selord >IJo^\
'..sradtd oaJac"
'l9L-vL6rl6 ':aq '[8:aqralg] oprurrag ol oa:I'c
\
eql'sruJoJ Puon"l aJndJo PIJo
;;p;"'pr,r.'{qi*3t'rddB'rruaJo
aa5
E
olul sdral
q'arq llptu
sI raer€r rel{ 'lsluE
PaPunoq
€002 * 3ruJ
Ku
s'suIJou PJIIIJs
*q{q
:>ljo
€
z
PuB s8ulSuol
snrua8 atu p1o ul roJ
rtql
ssel qrvv\ raIIrEe sdors
'""ieg Paluela
'soqled Jo alou ,pp" L'p"ofi
'lrrrrlc
"
uolltJnlsry
sanunuof
dratstur sPJ?1tol qrmorS;o ""o'd " PePqeun
llararu st
* s,Pl e l"t+ottt e.ulr Jo SurssBd e
Sursrarcur ,1rt^ 31rrr, 1tJ""
t""'d""'p
ad sn{l uI
eqr sa8a1r'ur d q)lq^A' a'nlcads:
se pasodrut P?q sJalstru
Suthv'sn tu aS;o rarrrod
ue st sasttld aeJl{l IIE Suquq
rallel E uI JIas
8t"p'q"
snor,rard r?qr EIJaIIJf s1 acueralJlpt"
uelllllY\
aql 'd1s3oue4 JoC 'q]"aP sn{ aroJag '{proqs
JotcEJ
J .."p""o 3"''nllroAIArns ualro8:oj" e Suru
-rulq paql'rrp
sauro)aq
"l's;;='{'ril
srq Suttuocra'ro '(q pryualds
-oregJo arE ar{t '.rorrJloi' 4fq"'ti'*
B sPunoJ
uonelosl sJalJns aq (E :uonrP"J]
rsnre Sut8t eql'uolsnJuor PuE
aarqf olul slpi rsrrrt rtar8
t"'"qd
aq (7 tuorrrpErt E,o,t]"q'11
"t'o"p aqr Sutssncslp uI l1s;oue4
>lro^\ aql r"qr partsod'urnta;o 1'o^ '3i1
o'ittrtr dcr8al B se suotltraua8
"Jo
uellolslq ,,y''"t""'rad puu '-p
qNg
>llo/(Jo dpoq t Jo luaulrisllo*-1;:Ho*,
arnrn; oruo passed aq uB3 leril
aqr-'droaqr pw
3u-o1 a^ll oq/v\ sJeqlo 3o ruaru8pnf
lsour sI ql"eP s,auo ragz
q"" plelJ B uI 'sreqlo;o luau8pnf
Surpynq
acncerdgo ,br8a13uo1l uo
'"
''t"
o8a puolsse3oJd lJo'/t\ aql '' PunoJ
q"^ "ttetq
uoIrEzII?uJar.,"
ar{r
srt
Jo
st
'q'
tq8tar"r
or
aqr
q8rarur
lou 'sJal{lo
,'ru''d
"'1""'
ernl
'"q'
Jear?J
E
sI
'qr
u8rs
uorltuSocar elllrallof aqrSo
srnltur
a
"q SPSraq
aur8etur oa'p,""q*
'"i1 'q'
qft"*
-?ru V 'paenpord
Sutrtsap agr
'"q "1'
t"q4::ot"-t*- iq31-'t"t1^ 3o uonrdtcltut Surqrou 3o
? saulorag
'q'
r l8raua 1v\El aqrap"ttto tad ststxa rrqt
puE sapnxa rsn," 8t"'o'{
e3o >1eads or sI raar'r
l,ql tb;;;J""Jo sseco:d 'q't t'i 1"t"tod
4eads or 'sI
r u1 parrnrts o8a
t5"'dt
e rog 'a:t1d p*
'*o
req Jo leads or .ro,,ji dt"'or
Je>lJ?lu E s?'&\ llo#e
rre sE uollEJn}Bru s'<oaCac Jo
uE jo uoIlEzIIeaJ 3qr 'lslllt
ra8'rt1 ;aq o: srra(ord snolr"A
aqa'o8a,(ldrurs lou selt\ srql'surrc Pnlfellalul
'ortdou'ft r Surdlddns
aql PuE laaJer rar{ Jo ^'1^ p-1t1'otstg
E uo >lJo'^^
;o drqsuontler
\olloJ oegaq z'"srwq a'rtlrredtuor
so8td uazopJPq E qrl'r snp Pa
^\aN'r
p
11o
llear g,
oecec (t
sfrlrJf,
PU
s" Jlesrar{.
elsrPalulu
ur Pauonr
aJoJag sra
ruagr 8u
Surag rou
PEr{ aqs
l
-rqxa lno
uro{
sJeui
ur a8ueqr
,(tnruaeSAIIIIIAIII
Jar{ aPElu
lrrienxas
oecec r
srrq"q qf
aJnlf,nJls
.,aJ]I,,
lg
-EIaJ [EIf(
.(uonBful
srrafqo r
Jo luJluJ
ulrllyv\ s
'.,uy3o
aqr aft3r
intellectualthatfewcanappreciateit.Theinevitabiliryofdeathrestoresthe
but the work endures as a disruptive
power of mediocriry ""a to"t""tion'
to art'
tr.. ,h", will change how future generations respond
occupies.tl th: life-cycle of
Another Perspective on the place mortaliry
of work ihat Marcel Duchamp underthe artist can be air.o',t"a i" " body
a
bottes-en-ualise - literally, boxes in
took after he turned fifty, his ,o-."il.d
the French term for a jack-in-thesuitcase, also a pun on'ioun"-mnlice'
in 1936' Duchamp worked and reworked
box. For rwenry y.",,, ttgitning
important pieces that he then carefully
miniature reproduction' of hi' most
packedintobriefcasesandsoldasaSettopatrons-.Thefirstversioncontained
including a tiny reproduction of his
sixry-eight -ini"r,rr., o f his euure'
many of his ready-mades' most Prop"irrrirr! Nud.e Descend'ing the Sta.ircasl'
the New York Artists Sociery under the
minently the urinal ht ''ib-it"d to
G/ass' Subsequent editions-were always
name R. Mutt, as *ttt "' the Large
*"' "t o'"igi"'l and authentic work of art' even if
d.istinct, therefore
""th
tht totttpt tl"ttly' Through this process Duchamp'
each set reproduced
whohadlongbefore"b",'do,'.dpainting,re.createdhimselfasanartistof
,h.p"*thro"rrghaseriesth"t-"ktsviewersthinkofhiscareerasauniry;
antithesis
which then becomes the
that is, something existing for art history'
art history validates the present by
of art as a living instit"tiln, except that
were already in the past'
pr.p.,t"g it irrt the future "' if "" artist's career
her first husband' and her roomAs a young artist in the 1950s' DeFeo'
jokes
enthusiasts who reveled in the conceptual
D,r.h"*pian
mates were
"ll
thattheagingmaste,*"d.aboutthenatureofart.CertainlyDuchamp's
of masterpiece and perhaps of genius' but the
,r^^',;"ggf.a .iith notio"s
i..,
to
lirri.d with it a message about the relation of artist subjectivity
interest
into a successful artist of
time and mortaliry. To tr"rrrfJr- oneself
-but
brings the pri<
Standing <
is a steady, cel
the ultimate p
believing that
professional c:
hit her hard.'
logical fact,
*
TRANSIT CIRCLE V2 " NOVA S€RIE
recentlY had I
in the pasr
having a c
phYsicai b'
Past year
-
tortures ol
tests and I
rhat was
c
thank Go
decision r
\'fuch of the
rnaternity sP
For fourteen
\{any other
too late
'l'as
1980. In a lt
DeFeo confi
I
feel
as
inseparaL
times I te
to
'
grasP
DeFeo to
; Lerter to
A-€ .(HT
2OO3
sh
about the fut
tohisorher.on..*po'"riesistohistoricizeoneself;thatis'toliveand
as a marker of
of one's future personal absence
work with
"r, "rr,,-pttio"
irretrievable but the work remains
profr,r;orntstanding' Tht 9t::" will be
The pieces endure as fragments that' collected
as an archaeologi.j
"to'i'
reconstruction for genetogether into an Eltt)re'might p"'-it imaginative
gone. DeFeo was well
rations ro come of what is otherwise p.rl"rr.rrtly
convenrionally marketed the
aware rhat this was central to how gJl.ri.,
letter following an exhibition of
work of mature painters, ", ,h. ,rot.J in a
..\rell everyone recognized the .stature' of my reputation
her work in 1981,
showing
FOOT
-
.lE;
qlrus eprpugf preq)|8
fierqr1 5or:uzg
',bzrqr1
Uorueg
*
SNlgl€ SS3NIHSIU8 IHI ONV nOA SUVIH lOOl -tH9ll
,,s'raded 9rCeC,,
,.sradtd oe{eq,,
'8161 'lPlaqq]l'tr aureu] ol ral]a'I
'186I'zz ludy
d1p;q saruef or o)Jacl
:'-
E00z * 3181s vAor,
uon"tndar
(
-,(ru _;o
Jo uorrrgrqxa ue
'
eqi paralreru
IP1(
3r{l ds"r8 or
ta31 or Prsoddns sI auo sgulr{l aip 1p Surop Pu" AIIEar
serull
Sutl.rl rut lng .:l?dsaP Pu? ssrullsuol qlr ^ aurof,r3'to llplor IaeJ I
lV'3ur roJ luatulsnfP? Pr"rl l'ra't y's-real 91 d1'rtau :o3 alq?r€dasul
uaeq r^Eq a/N 'PslElndII]? uaeq sEq etu Jo uEd z gSnorp s€ IaaJ I
PaPSsor oacac
u" o} rallal E uI '086I
's0E6I aql ur lEIt ? ParEqs eqs tlroq'/v\ I{lr'4 Pueru PIo
ool sE',{\
ur Jaq a^Eal ol uolslleP srq ur rol3BJ luEuodur uE sE'^ tuFI JoJ al?l
sanssr Jaqlo luEW
]r aloJag raqr"J e aq oi errsap sn{ }ng 'urde uaql aAoJP
uealrnoJ JoC
d1pr"g petue./,r. oq,t\ uEuJ :e8unof l{rnru e qll^\ Pe q eqs 'sree/
"
'ar,1r,iorr"y.l rurar-8uo1 Puoras ral{ Jo scgtcads aql tuog Suerds llruraltur
tnoq" PaqlnsaP oeCaq reql 1pd puz qsnd aqr io grn1ntr
,pr"^or
s8uqaa3 rar{
sE^a
.
S
.i1;e
oacac
-aua8 roj uonlnil
petfallof 'ttqr sru
sur€rue-r >lJo,^ ar{l
JO ra>lrcur E sE
rl
Pu" a^rl ol 'si rt
lseJalur Jo lsnl?
ol lrr.trtcefqns rsr
aq] lnq 'sntua8 -:
s,drueqcnq ipre:
selof pnrdoouor
-ruool Jar{ PUE 'p
'rsrd arp ur
^p?].
,,(q ruasa-rd eqr
(iqrl"ori l"luaur ;(ru or auop a^tq Plno'/v\ uolsl)aP
>Iu"ril
"
sl
srsaqlnuE aqr sarr
dttsseoau l"r{l l?q./"r 1v\ou>1 l,uoP I - urJ"lt esltJ E s"1v\ lI 'PoD
altl ool rsnl Surruoc sert ]"91
'{ilalN 'petu", 1 Surgraruos rnq - oJII uI
llrrun z
slsel
tuale u? ,8ur1aout:,3o lrtssarau eql qll'^a Parg s"'& puz (112 Put
s?^\ J a^alleq ol uos?3r Ptt{ I iiPeuu"P eqrJo sarnlrol
PEq) - tutu8a;d
;taf rsed
oqlParelJns 1 Suuds srql -;laslur lI rf,"J ol ptq d1:tau [i] lpoq pers'(qd
slr{l rf,uo - a311 lul ul [arr'u;] ["'l ,'-rtou e]?l ool Erl, Pu"
'Pllql 8ul'ttg
dur ur sa8utqr ol uollrtrJ i?uolloule ar{l sI lI sdtqla4
"
s'rtal o'ul lsed aqr ut
ro,\eu ralo sla;8a.r qtt'tyztafns [1n"tl a've'q1 ["']
,alor,u Jatur?d aql (uollloqe uE PEI{ P"r{ -{l}uelol
alf lnoq"
arnrn3
oq/( pualu E ot '8L6I luo5 rallel ? uI 'aJI l3I{ Jo adrrls
llSuorrs eqs ']f,"J pcr3o1
suolslrep I"luaurePuni e>Ieu ol ruoPaagJo ssol E rloJ
uerl6 'PIEI{ leq }tq
-orq Surruool E arutreg arloqr aleragllaP uaaq PErl ]"qrur (reaJ?J
puorssa3old
s0/6I al"r agl ur asnedouauJo lasuo aql sseleqrauou lng
r puE pooqlaqlour ,trg*o' ol luaurEradural aql Pa>llEI el{s l"ql 8ur'rarlaq
arpSo le'te Sursstd ar"urlrp ar{l
'uerplrrjr Prlue-\\ rou P?q orJeg IEnPI^-iPul
r sl
,rrthg"rd ttqr uon:alq? uE 'sra'l.rod s,lP:q al{l Jo ssol ssalesEer "(ptals
IEI{I uoll"r5l-8urqr aql or pasoddo Surpuer5
slrcrua JeJrEr pJzrllrotriq
-'..ss;ulsnq ur rre'-iaqr ig'tr s,rerp
r?u,\\ s.r?'+ :sn?llc - t1 p,.""]ul aJs1l
asJnof 3o puu dn saflJd eqr s8uuq
rtq'a'r t ['tolsTq Sutmoqs tnq -
'bqr
sE JeorE:
Jo rsItJE uE
'durcq:ng
s?
JIl
ssa:c:
Jr ue^a 'ue 3o r:
s&,lyz aJa.l suo:
er{t rapun
ltar:c
-ord tsotu 'sep?,i.:i
Jo uor}3npo:r
srr{
POUTEIUOs UOTsj:.
llnga-rr: uer{r ru
P:
]c
Pe>lro,/!\ar Pu?
-eqr-ul->lfE[ E
E ur saxog d1p.r::
-repun durcqrnq
yo ap.(c-a3r1 aqr :
'ttE
e^rldnJsrP E s? s:
eqt saJotssJ r{r?:i
involved with work
-
as yet teaching
only' cant yet lose myself in
'therapeutic' for me. I really
painting - which has never served ro be
to a
have to feel good to create) see other people' have gone lwice
and
alone
living
therapist and etc. ecc. and reading all these books on
than just
lo]ring itlt which I never have a doubt if I ever will do better
tolerate it.6
he married and his
She accepted that the relationship was over only after
born. Now well into her fifties, DeFeo had to learn once
first child was
ho* to live alone. She had wistful hopes that another man might
"g"i.,
.i,., h., life and fill the void, but she recognized how unlikely that was for
with increasing recoga woman her age. The breakup, however, coincided
She
nition of a professiot*l "..o*plishment by that time thirry years deep'
tenure-track job
moved ro a new more prestigious gallery and she landed a
in the art department at Mills college. Painting was not therapy for her,
immediate
nor did ,h. t,rrn to painting to express emotional responses to the
imposed obligations
circumsrances of her life. But professional relationships
and to
to provide new wofk for her gallery on a regular basis, to exhibit,
job at
new
g, the many students who sought her as a mentor' Her
,ng
the
rvriilJ ,h" .orrf.rs.d ro another old friend, was frightening to her, but
"I
feel
interactions it brought helped her refocus on her values as a painter.
it. Everyone is going thru a very experimental period
quite materrr"l
"bo.tt
both stylistically but particularly in use of materials, which is great fun,
to gel
however impermaneni".t Sh. confided that exactly what she needed
her
like
who
minds
he, thought, as a painter was responsibiliry to young
wanted t"o think through paint. She entered into professional life having
an important
lost the encumbrances of personal life and became in the Process
her students
part of the inner lives of her students, an "art-mother", as one of
at Mills enthused'8
Even so, letters throughout the 1980s indicate she often suffered from
life
Ioneliness and depression. The evaporation of her personal romantic
6
left the scars
she could co
surprised bv
make sure sh,
had food and
with affectior
life, one fille<
Her stud,
about the pa
iudgmental e
snrpid mista.l
fiere were
or
her young fr
trom the ot}rr
one convictic
$-omen emer
that it often
'
personal life"
but a discipli
rhe rvorld, u:
3
Strat eyiden
maturation,
i
tbur-year hia
her work, sh
llhen she '.r'a
was the first
suggesr, rhi:
lrork of her
approximatel
undl
1966.
"DeFeo papers"' Bancroft Library'
DeFeo to Sonia Gechtoff, postmarked September 2, 1980.
"DeFeo papers". Bancroft Library.
DeFeo ro James Kellv, March 16, 1982.
8 Kar.te Fag.cen to DeFeo, May 25,1989, "DeFeo papers". Bancroft Library'
7
* 2OO3
TRANSIT CIRCLE U2 * NOVA SERIE
i DeFeo to
_j:
-lE
;GHT FOOT HiA&
qlrus eprpugf preqrru
+
sNlDlS sslNlH9l88 3HI CNV nOA 5UV3H IOOI
fierqr1 5orcwg ',,s:aded oaCeCL, 886I '02 raqura^oN
(11a;'1 sauref
lH9ll lHt
ol oeCaq
r00z + ltr:s
(,
'lrerqrl go.lln
'996I lllun
rta(o.rd ,fututrd rel{ ueeq PEI{ leql spunod gggT '(pwuttxorddz
BE6I Irrou-1ro^
atzy aqJ'qrnol ral{ Jo >lro^\
g"t,{gtt^
l"rtldlnrs'allsseru "'(Z'EH)
slql's1sa33ns
,r"1 ,q, or'papuodsar ruroJ ErPeuI Paxlu (,,8I ".,0I) IIEurs
aql sE^\
eFrl aql sE PuE 'aJII raq jo asrqd ^a3u slql uI ePEur aqs acatd lslu
rag uI se1'r eqs uaq^\
'.0L6I rrrorJ '(t '3lg) a&aru1 n{V'sar}lrql PUE sallue'^ 1
aqs 'ryozrt rarl
raq pa8t8ua PEr{ lEgr srualgord aql ol Paurnlar ''(lartraqtlap
aql rV 'snrerl{ rca'(-rno3
pue JIasJaI{ azlflJotsltl or ue8ag eqs 13I{l auJll aures
(uolltrnleru
Sunpu ot Paurnler oacaq 'oL6I uI;'{:rprroru Pu?
tt
i1" rre
,?lut"Be
laq uo apr,tord s8urtured s,oaCec oP uaql aruePl^o lEqr4N
1o acuarradxa
€
'Fa^oJ u?J eJr.ISo rcadse Jal{lo ou s^'(ert-'plror'l agr
e rnq
ur Surag3o sdt.tr rrrau spalel InJssarfns uaq'^ IEI{I aorlotrd pauqdDsrp
ult5er t
puos;ad
'ey1
.rorrrrriir--y1as rrtnadtraqt tou sI lr' lEI{lJaIIeq req uo
:(pwaq 1ou s?'tr uauo rI lEI{l
pue Sulrurcd asnJuof ralau lsnuJ ralurrd r rtqr
Sur8raura ueurol\
.rrr1" o, sdtqrad ;*rrrrr-,3 I"lIPEr Jo Sutra'u'og arp Sulrnp
sJerlJo uollfl^uof euo
e^BI{ lsnru rr pue)
Sunol ot a8ue-rts
'(puanbar;
Peuraas
a3rc1 t 3o ePIs JaIflo el{l uror-I
pareadar e^EI{ o} sulaas aqs ?,roPul/,l sse18-ere1d
Suno'(
uo ur Surlool ldou st/,r al{s r"ql }leJ er{s 'se^II .sPuaIU
31 ," "3y1
ara'4 araql
,t, ,,ron"rt1dtuo3 aql or Surualsrl 'reqr prcs aqs ueq'e\ suolses3o
ral{ uI sa>lelsrur prdnrs
qbnoq, -'acuatradxa ral{ Per"r{s aqs Pu" aJrl u^\o
,.1, i"qr auodut uEI{l rallaq ^\aDI al{s irta pruatu8pnl
3o ,i:ua1d aPeur P"q
"-uou
sqrtd aql lnoqt
rng 8ur,noo1 e papr'r'ord eqs 'a{el PFor >lro^& rraqr
JoJ lno raq rq8nos sluePnls JeH
sE ile.^a sE saAII a^ol rlaql lnogE afI^PE
rargSnel q1y!\ Pall5 auo '.a1r]
ufqredu.{s pue
rarl
oJrl lrluEruc
ruoS Paraj+
stuePnls Ja
luBuodurr
Ln
Supeq an1
req a>lrl oq.r
1aE
ot
papaa
'unj tee:8
s
Poued IEtur
.Jeluft
IaaJ I,,
aqt lnq req
re qof .^aau
ot puB ,lrqn{
suoneS4qo p
alErPeruuli a
taq roy lder
go( >1ce.rr-arnr
aq5 'daap
sre;
-3ocar Sursea:
roj
seaa.
tq8lu
regr -
ueur r
ef,uo uJEal o
srq Pu€
Parr
r{ll,\\
'uolluel]? Pu" uollfa#3
a,\rllr-N3 qlu Pue .\\au E PunoJ PeePur PPq eqs
s3^\ Pu" PooJ P"rl
raq paptmorms 'euole ]ou sE'^^ eqs l"ql aJns ePtur '3ul1"e
ar{} 01 ro3 arls eJns e>lEui
aqs ems aPEru 'sluatursall Jeg JoJ aurr] ul prrdsog
lurru 'ttoq '(g paslrd'rns
01 srnol{ 3uo1 paraarrmlo't 'uauJ'Lr "(psoru 'eldoad
eql uaqr'1\ 'uo lunol PFol eqs
s-8,\\ rt{s 'padola-rap raq PeilDI 13q} ssaulll
3ul1ea3 Jo sl?rs eql Ual
iro !,r:u -r-ttrrt " dlrt l,"1 Pue 'arncasul 'alqtJaulnl
lsn{
rre
PUE 3u
EOl3:
lp:r
ur JIrs-
1. A{ter lmage (1970). Acrylic & mixed media on plywood, 10 x 13 inches.
O 2003 The Estate of Jay DeFeo / Artist's Rights Society (ARS), New York
The l\,4enil Collection, Houston.
Foto credit: lV. Lee Fathetree.
Three basic visual forms combine in both works: ridges separate as they
emerge from a central aperture to comPose a radiating figure. The deceptively
simple question of what kinds of spatial illusions can flow from separating
the circular focus from the rest of the picture plane had been the subject of
many paintings preceding The Rose and would remain of concern to her for
the rest of her career. Vhat is different is a decision to follow Afier Image
with works that systematically anallzed the vocabulary she had developed'
Her mature work could be viewed individually, but their full meaning came
from the way in which they formed an Euure.
TRANSIT CIRCLE V2 * NOVA SERIE *
- -n: Rose (i 953-':i:
:: =lcnof th€\'.---:,
:,-:r3se with lur:s ':;,::-di-,iid Founri-::- :
:::: a:3lit: Ben 3 a:.rre
_tE
2OO3
UGHT FOOT HEAFs
{
6L
qlrus eprpug) prPq)ru
+
sNl9l8 SSlNrHglSS lHr oNV no^ suvlH
rool lH9ll lHr
€002 4 rtuls vA
3UJE3 SUTUEeUI
'podola^ap pBq
a8uru1
uE[y no
JoJ Jar{
ot uJalf
yo rrafqns arp
'llaM)lPlB ua8 :llpell olo:
')io
uorlepunoi plrq)stllot
+o alelsl aql €O0Z O
siLlbru s,]sr!V / oelao
MoN '(SUV)
^ef
uorj spun] tlllM aseqllnc
^lat)os
ainldlnrs pue 6uriured fuelodualuo) aql
l"t,uuol
alll jo uorpallol
u1p", "ut or"
unosnl4
'(auit\lM
4r9 )ro1 MaN '!V ueluauv +o
satputllx,/i6x'/tBZt'se^ueruoerrupuepooMtlllMllo'(996L-8S6L)asouaql
pue oolac ,(e1lo a1e1s1 aql +o
Z
Sune.redas
uo:-
lp,rndacap aq
lagr
se elereda
)ro^ MaN 'iS
--.]-E---.--- ;I ru: | !
Shewasbeginningtoworkwithretrospectivesinmind.Solutionsto
between photography' collaproblems wer. f[o*.i across media by moving
of everyday objects such as ear
;., arrd painting, and by the exploration
(Fig' 3)'
ii.rgr, ,*i^ming goggles' camera tripods' or dentures
n,:-:::]:iOn
l!-
ab
.L- Ioj
-'- tiu-
: :i -n-l:e SOnia
*r::--;fn. ThE
;:--::,:ion. Th.e
L ---:
I l:-:-.,
UL!!4
-dIU
:= lli0s. Tf
*:.re
A.llen C
,b.itrIrnd.
ril
;*-i ;ornperid,
; :nrt-ined. l
:. -rst ohi,le n
liied mosr
-:50. as part
;-,.:
r
:,:::-.idered her
-:: ,.-ears. Tht
:'- *' diificu]r
:e:rt'een them
*.n.
perhap,
.:'.-g
3.CrescentBridgeI(1972)
SyntheticpoJymerandmixedmediaonplyruood'48x66%1linches
Purchasewithfunds{romDanlelC Benton'
CollectionoftheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt'NewYork
2oo2'27g'o2003TheEstateofJayDeFeo/Artist,sRightsSociety(ARs),NeWYork'
Foto credit:
lvl
Lee Fathe(ee
a
bir
o
Tivo mid,
]-a0me Over
1
_:ore accurat(
--::cr-
had *'or.
::ofessiona-l
a
::rable from
close friend from the 1950s who
Discussing her method with James Kelly, a
York, DeFeo stated' on finishing
had since left california ro move to New
redirectls] itself into a new
one work, "all the concentration and energF
itself more appropriately" '
image t...] all that experience ["']- rechannells]
argument between
The corinection bew.i" images had been a long-standing
her for putting too much energy
DeFeo and Kelly, who had olten chastised
into individual Paintings'10
r0
DeFeo to James Kelly, August
1i,
Library'
t19801' "DeFeo papers"' Bancroft
*
*
TRANSIT CIRCLE V.2 NOVA SERIE 2OO3
::r'J photogra
righr
have h
::cused on p
-dentiw as pa
DeFeo
,:mited by
fi
a
1
:espond to h.
lard work ol
:aint. At the
.:
LIGHT FOOT HEAtr
q]!us eplpugf preq)lr
*
sNl9l8 SSlNIHglrs IHI oNV
nol
srV3H 100J IHDI]
lHr
€002 +
ags l5g;o a8z aqr ry'rured
ppo^a orf,.r. rolselord e ro3 padog lns
rar{
prtq
^\olp
ol olpnts aql ur euop JeI{ a^Eal PuE slroJJa raq Sunourord 3o lror'r
ol puodsar
dyretunlo,r
rruls
vAo
&erq11
os >lro1u' raII
pp,o^i'q'
aqr e>I'urpun
'"qi'tlSttotts
}"qr aJIseP artlssed e lq parnurl
sJar{lo rtgl d1snoau"r,,td'''*o' uo'llu3or"
lleug,oagaq
prrl lsru? ernreul E se aJII req ]Eql pa8palmoq:e
lrnuapr
ueaq
aql
PeYIEuar :l:]:]:t"
'punoJ Peq rP"a asElosJo ruJoJ alq"ls lsolu
pr-"r, asp IIE allll116 'suortsanb puorssaSord uo PasntroJ
rq81ul
prr"qi " 'rtrorr,11,
t
a^EI{
oa'"'io'''qi:'*t"t'oa-o' f,Ilu?uroJ PEI{
/1arn1osar rrt"r,
ptre
"r,r"pt
rPEa qll^\ slIsIA rlaqr Jo sqdtrSoroqd
drgspuau3 aqr t?qr rsaSSns rel{lo
dueul a1rq16 'lef,rJorsrq ]J? ulolJ alqt'red
perrr{s ara.&\ salrrulnut puosrad
puosrad put puorssa;ord
-asur aJa.1d suorlsanb p,,io1o8''l3asJalur-u""'o'
ptg 'taqr
l"'rt""d
s-E PIJE suosrad se dn punornr
qllr{^a ut sdtr"r aql ue^Ig
ol el?JnfJE aJoru
rttt{^ sa,rlas ra8unod '1"!r ot Sunroda: a'rar* 'bqr reqr '(es aql ra^o aruo3aq
i"- rr sdeqra4 'rp.tt15 aro^\ lstl '(aqr a:uls saP?f,eP'o/t\r
"q
ot pauodar slsur paBr-ePPIuI oinra
prq daqr oq^\ rnoq" "q'o qt"'
'rrqetiqt j'"*o"i Surreqs roJ uollralo'rd ;o, r1q e Surprr'
a3u?f,slP asnereq trtd ut sdtqrad 'ruaqr
-ord alrgm Sutlrrlr ,,ri'1 p''8"'norue
ueql uea^llaq
r
Suerds drqspuau3 puolssa;o'rd '3ur1o( "(1a'rq Pue
lnq :wa slq} rFrgJIP /t\ol{
"-^lqa"
pe)p{r'3,rrgrr*o, X11ry -11 qll^\ l.r:Jatuos
dlpr:tp dueur er? eregl'sread roJ
Sunmtput 3.rr,rr",""t'';d""t{',.J arqod
oaJec '.Pueqsnq Puo3as ral{ PerePlsuof
pepro^E pBq aqs sPusl{ PIo PaDEruof,
s? '086I
3tt^o11o3 ssocord Surpaq ragSo rrzd
lql **'r,{i ,{it^ a't{"'q
'qr
aqs aldoad 3I{r Jo lsolu PaPIoA"
raUV 's0E6I al{l uI o} lsasols uaaq Ptq
erP
'luorurroe grunrrrtde PaTITP sPuaIU slrq^\lsra
oaCac '0g6I ol996I tuorC
agr dg 'Peuvruua IIE
pur 'dn Suqea.rq rrr^,'8i"'tru lnSqrnod 'sellxls-Pllu ut
'uorlrladurof PUE
qcrqr'r
ara,l s8ur8uol lenxas PuE 'PuosJad;puoss'3ord
tJtt{t Jo alraPereruef, aql Puqeg
.&nopaf relrrg uaag p"t1 qrttof Ptj"tlt
ereqd\
uallv
r11qnd a'uldacar PunoJ 8-raqsutg
"
1*011' til
al{l
aqr rtqr dralp8 dooc aqa's0E6I
a:e1d rsrg ag] sB/( pt8"""* dnor8
PUE slJ"
o""*'C uBS Palft-os eqr Jo sluaula^ou drerarq'uopuaue
Jo ef,uEssrEura
er{l Jo auo t"^ tY:t{. rI'aI{J
ar{r roJ sJalual ppo' ,t'rr'odurr tsoru
ere-/r\ daqa 'uontppy
.rrr8 or 8t"t""3"q ueql sralulsd lua8raura IIE
1riro1ri.,
Eluos eJI/d srl{
a8rel
PEq JorIPac
uralsalnr s.orsrf,'Erc *s "i reg
" Par"I{s
'aJII
ral{ PuE oa{eC 's0E6I eqr uI
(lf,IrPaH
dtpn
Pu?qsnq rsr5
pue d11a;4
Stttttp tuaunsn(pr rer{ lnog" uoneulroJul
puorssagord '"r"qur, "'oitbte t 'qr
uroS d11o;1 ol s;aual snoulrunlol s'oaCac
Jo ef,rnos tsal{3lJ "13t"' 'qr
lSraua r{f,nru o
uaaluaq tuarun
',,tlalaydotdda
3 olur JIas
^\eu
Surqslug uo 'p
orl^{, s0E6I er{r
'lJo,
'uolua€ I Prue
'saqrurl I %
i61;:l,i!:rr,'r'
!,rjg9tg19:,
4$r:t:r-
:iiir...
fur. .i,i
"&5"+r:t:'i!,.'t-
',;$F.
'(E
JEo S3 r{f,ns Sp
-e11oo'lqderSor
01 suollnlos '
it wasnt likely'She
to focus entirely on her work but she-realized
C;ln;1 was abr e
ltt-"'-t::I:
r
;;;':; ;i"
::'"1-o'I l: T ::l t',,":*
;i. ;;"th C "htoff '' ease with'l?':T'i::: ilil::. ":TT]J
that rested on_\er,:wnhabits: "I dar;
i:.ffi **;
ilJr il.
explanation
rffiil;;;JJ;
sense that [Sonia] t':*:,1T:*:r:.:
b;'f"I"i"
;Ifii;;
'h'
months to
abour -y_'-T:s.lv - taking
;:,^il;;'y.r'"J.''something'
:::::1T,.'
\reli the same old "l"r,'l
;:t#;".;;;;""
lasting several months on why she
ug
yLJ
vr
rrv
v^^
vv_---
The theme continued in a iiscussion
in response to Kellys nagging that
worked on several pieces simultaneously'
she needed to focus:
By working one thing off against another'
I
am better able to clarifr
many of the pieces
vision and be obje.tiv. about weaknesses' ["']
lot' Technique improved as are^"rewere abandoned, some changed a
had to go the super-refined
finements" [...] I felt thttt '-"ll things
this' as they are not as "dramatic"
route. [.'.] I maywell be criticized for
i"dvtn""tsome" in effect' as a result' but in the long
o, porribly
".
context of my work'
run I think they will seem right in the total
new departure (in the event of a retrospective)'r2
x
a
that is, a set of reproducible formal
she strove for a look that was not a style;
.fi.frer,butamethodthatexpandedhowviewersmightinteractwithpainthemselves on her
,t"e:il;* ,.r,rggli"; "g"inst habits that would imposepossibilities
of paininto the experiential
and her work and Uf.J
"ipt"tation
hand I get all
,i"g,;\fh." th. id.t"rritechnique dont happe"'hT9 in
disorientedandupset",shetoldfttty'ttwasanoldproblemandhadledher
not want to rePeat'
io*r, ,h. path to massive works' an end point she did
I*u n*tn
tl1 in d'isttess overthe
stuffyou refer to' not feeling the surface
or whatever' and of course laying
had enough substance to carry the form'
the ans'wer
became sculpture' which was really not
it on till it
".trl"lly
of the first application of oil is less
either. Something about the freshness
Shecontinuedthi
ofher focus on q
fully exploring tl
end it certainly I
had developed sir
elways been my r
is" all the other st
oncerns). I have
{as opposed to a
work)". She hop
notoffendhim, a
a language that si
m pay attention
1
diate and self-exp
beginning to deal
describe. [...] *te
bined in a more
6at more direcd
rclume".14
Gechtoff hac
wre
developing
motivations in v
ask him how far I
was looking forv
frrlly) friendship'
had complained
,i
-"rre
painting.
pa.inting process
r
h was the old pr
rcurity that was
wry threatened
fve come to acc
God I suffer the
,
thansatisfiing,butgotoofaranditgoesdeadandceases.tobrea*re''.I3
r
"DeFeo PaPers"' Bancroft Library'
DeFeo to James Kelly, August 15, t19801.
12DeFeotoJamesKelly,September24,|98|...DeFeoPaPers''.BancroftLibrary.
Bancroft Library'
r3 DeFeo toJames KellY, October 11' 1981. "DeFeo PaPers".
TRANSIT CIRCLE V2 " NOVA S€RIE
ta
DeFeo to James
I]TIG 1JGHT FOOT HEARS
YOU
furqn
ltrus
eprpug) preqrlu
Uorf,ueg',,sradrd oaCeCL,
+
sNlgls sslNlHgNg lHr oNV no^ slvrH 1001 rH9n:HL
'I86I '0t requa^oN'lp;4
sauref
ol oeCeQ
5'
E00z * lrl?s vAoN +
z
',fierqr1 ryo:r
dre;ql1 go::rle
'rftrrqr1 go:r
lcuapuadap tttql] ilV ["'] sured IE^'\"rPI{1I'/{JO PUH lsro \ 3r{l rriJns I Po)
er-I
lng ["'] qloq sn roJ rarlag llqrqord st uorlt'redas aqr tdalt ol auor
'",ii,id drqsuorwp: ftu ur sn{' aes 1 'no'( 8urso1 }nogt Peualeargr dnr
qrg ,qr'r"qr.irllrqeqord Suons E sI artr{J" 'elg"urBu?un sEA 1?t{1 d:rrnras
rualqord PIo eql sEA {
JoJ arISaP ? ur Jal{ro qcta Surpsof so8a pnxas 3o
"
dlea'r ssa:ord Sunurd
Surlnlrnu
ol
'..r,ri",
no,( prd*a
,gr'1rr1
1pw
1to^lur
(ulq
JoJ sy,, '8urlurcd arsu
rroq" ,e*qr", ,qr pug I"
PIor oa{ec ',,aul
p-aurcldulor puq
q8noua rou PuE 8.rrrt^ aruu qfnru oot tuads '{1ay reql
(d1w
(puEI{ rel{}o aql uo 'EIuoS 'lr
Jo luexa aq} s?^\ r"qr PuB ,,drqsPualr3
3un1oo1 se"u'
-raoql 3,rrrs"1-huo1 p,r" pr.t1ti,, e Suldolar'ap rlal{l or PrE^\roJ
s8urlaa; slri rEJ '/t\ol{ urlq {st
ar{s l?r{l^ ,ou>I urrg ral or ]uE1$ PIP eqs Tq 'ruam
ol luelt tou PrP aqs 'PP aqs se llreln8ar sr urrg or Sulrlur ul-suoll?Anors
t Surdola'raP eJah
raq ..!rrep oi orgrq ptt qgr',,dtqsuotltlat leuoslad,,
oeCaq pue d11a; rrrir sPualg len]nw raqro 8uq1ar uaoq P?q lJollpa3l
,r',(ar{tEerg ot,
ssel sl
Irojo u
Ja rsuE Jr{t ro
8urle1 asrnoc3r
af,Erns ar1r Sujl
'lB3dal ol luE^\ lo
rrr{ Pel PEI{ PUE ualq
ile ra8 I (PuErl w P
-qrBdJo sartrTrqrssod
J3q Uo sa lesluetP es
-trpd qrpl lsBJolrr
1
[EruroJ elqrrnPorder
rr'.(auJnlo't
slssE]f Jo af,uanuul aql srJaltar lpcarrp eJou 18ry
Jo tuerulBall af,rrBsslEueu
-1ro^
algtrcrpardun oJoul E uI Paulrtr
11r", aql Jo euros ol pasoddo sB^
"{tru'
aql ["'] 'aqtnsap
-ulof, sseulslJ Pu€ eiunlo qll^\ FaP [s8unured or1"ftct] rs?l
ul 1raP or SuruuFaq
nod regr suorpaJrp etuBs arpJo auos qll^\ suJer I?uJoJ
ags '.&r'r ur'ro'(tu u1,, ''{;oleurldxa-31as PUE elErP
1 ,i"qrrd,, 'panulluoc
,rr^ 6.ro.rr"d 3l sr lp"'reu parelado PEI{ 3r{S 'JaI{ ol uolluelt? led or
raq Paltnlrs reqr e8en8uel
Suto8 a;arvr a1doad3r,tl1err3,r"'rt aloru qrtordde
ags pue 'run1 Puago rou
dolarrap or PEr{ aqs - rulod srq3o arnsnf arp pardacce
*"
-r-*,
t
pedorl aqg
plno^a aAIIEIIuJI sez gcrorddr srq reqr uonsaS8ns 'rag
sei
"'(1:om
ppg erour E or pasoddo
se
["'] rnod3o euros uI Jo >lf,ollod ut qctoldde s&np a EI{ '(suracuor
I
auo e^EI{ rsnur [rls PuE 'Paluouo a8rrul l.tar' uaag
Jer{lo eqr IIE 's!
prrrds anJas olPasn rnq algeredasut sI ''3la 5o1oo 'aut1 'lJnls
dru uaag slt'np
ueoru I req^\ '.grunP ,p,tn* reqr) ulacuoc lutlrodtur lsou
acurs.padoP aP PEq
,"q mrd, .rr ,.rraa"g i"r{IN,, :PaPuodsar aq5 's096I agr
rl
r, ," 8.ru.rr"d 3o urea;lsurEu al{r ePlslno >lJo^\ JaI{ pactld ^(pprrac PrrE
llrarured aqr Sulroldxt lify
'rr"rd ,qt ,rrrJ prdolr^eP Peq ags sanbruqcar
uo snf,oJ rel{Jo
*org 1r"q ,rg 8.rrp1og se.',r po8 sn{l llal aH 'uolsnlll prreds
tAtt; or papuodsar el{s sE srarlal ral{unJ uI auaql sql Panuuuol aqs
,.,br-rr.rc
E
se'yom f,u
3uo1 agr ur r
..f,neureJP,, sE:
PsuUat-redns
-eJ,, eJ? sE PJ
sacard agt 3o
,frrtp
reqr 3uI33Eu
aqs
or algt
#llt)
lq^\ uo sqluoru'
,,'.,i&c
o1 sr{luoru souJnar
Pu",r\ols uurEP ool
aJEP
I,, :srrg"q u,^ o
'.1*Ir,, JplrT E uono
q8norqr Jlasrrr{ rro(
or parrodar aqg dp1
is probably (no doubt) unhealthy, and [...] the idea that you might be transferring this attention to someone else couldnt help bur hurr".15
At times, when
in arriving, DeFeo worried that even
a professionally based friendship might explode in her face. "I've been so
wrong about human nature in the past", she wrote him, hoping that he
would affirm that he valued their relationship as well. Painting, teaching,
and personal life tended to get mixed into an inseparable puzzle. 'i/hen her
painting was nor going well, she said, teaching became unbearable. She
ceased to trusr people, and she retreated into the maze of her own thoughts.
The solutions were practical and technical, and it was precisely his objectivizingadvice that strengthened her most, by allowing her to disentangle the
threads of her life. He focused her attention on the important issues of
canvas size, color, brand of paint, method of brush stroke, as well as keeping
visible as a professional working woman. These were things she could do
something about, unlike all the messy emotional business. She did not share
his enthusiasm for post-painterly abstraction, minimalism, or conceptual
art, as she continued to believe that painting, if good, revealed a realiry that
was inherent to life itself and not simply to arr. But, despite basic divergences
in aesthetic philosophy, they reinforced each other as working comrades.
His practicaliry she told him, strengthened her when she dealt with her
students; so she did not ger swept away in their passions but could instead
return tltem to the question of "\vhat do you want to accomplish with this
piece?". The focus on stating and solving the problem that this friendship
reinforced helped her deal with the sffong feelings of competition she continued to feel for other old friends and even somerimes, surprisingly, with
her students. It was this abject self that he helped her overcome through his
cool, professional advice that posed problems she could solve. using her
own words, this focus on painting as activity with results was helping her
'poor little ego" reemerge even sffonger from the nightmare of a completely
failed personal life and a frequently frustrated professional career.r6
a response was late
Their len
&,r &e next
s
fi
mniinrings,
hger-scalew
"tMrigbt (fig
ffi€ bend Th
6r most of b
rerrcal fre pal
Tk
Rosc,
prresence
&
&ar
side of rhe
ca
paint diffirsa
Cotletb. +'rtl6
It DeFm to
James Kelly, postmark 27 [??] lan 1982. "DeFeo papers,'. Bancroft Library.
16
DeFeo to James Kelly, postmark
l8
[??] Feb 1982. "DeFeo papers". Bancroft Library.
TRANSTT CtRcLE v.2
* NOVA SEnre " zoor
IHI
UGHT FOOT HEASS I
qlrus eprpu9)
preqlu
*
sNt9lB sslNlH9tu8 lHl oNV no,\ suvlH
Iool ]F: -
:ir_
oeroqle: eal L\ :]ipar) olol
)ro^MeN'(SUV)lterosSlqbUs,]sr]]v/oajac^eiloelels:oq_L€002O urals Cp^eC€raudue> VsalllLlduolroc_
'seq)ur %BL x z/,€t loded uo
to
(Eg6
l)l
u ]q6uqlv
spuoql ol
a6pu"ioH
.t
srqt otur ruJoJJo Surpoog e 'acua8;arua ruou surqs snf,oJ pue 'sasn;3rp turrJ
agt 'suado arntrad? aqt 'q7uqly s?ruoqJ o1 a8aruog uJ 'seluer er{r Jo eDr:
raqto eqt uo plJom eyo lrqea,r alqedpd aqt se>lo^e sseleqtauou rerp aruas::J
alerpaurur aql uo 'turcd jo ss?ru Jear{s aqt uo sr slseqdrua eq7 'asoy aq :
uI 'punu aqt urqtr^\ pe^rl euo 'plro,tt rerlloue 3o lrqea.r alqedpd arp IEe-\:-ot pazrue8ro selt uorssardurr lensues 'elerperurur arlJ 'JeaJEr JarlJo lsolu Jo:
Iro,tl. rer{ ur tuatel uaeq peq }Erp auaqt E paUuEIl 8unurcd rr{I 'pueq ar-Suru.rnr
saulqJ
llpug
o7
se
\ eqs rEr{t rla3 eqs'986I ur patalduoc'(y'B1g) qZ1.tqy
a8uruo11 epnlf,ur
ppora ler{t
sarres
agrgo Sunpedg '1.roru. aprs-ra8re-
ur pansrnd aqs spo8 aqr ,fr;ep plno,la. r1llllra Jo tuaueurJa; aqr 's8unurcC
IIErusJo serJos E op ot uorltguJt uE pafunouue aqg 'sreaf ueAJS txeu aql ro-r
suonreuuof e.tnra(gns3o alqrun( srgr a;o1dxa o] penunuof sJanal JrerlJ
world, to an invitation to enter the space extending from the visible to the
invisible, non-material, but sensually revealed continuation. The painting
the prominence
as awhole, and therefore sensuality itself, is dematerializedby
might be
given to the space implied but not revealed. \rhat was guiding her
that she
of
painting
content
Iu-m"rir.d ir, " q.ro.. from Sartre on the
made in her journals: "the sum total of days we are and are not".17
In a painiing from the prwious year, Summer Inndscape, DeFeo ruptured
th. pl** r,rrface with two parallel aperrures. The black opening on the left side
sensation to achi€
reality to discove
4
In
1988, DeFer
Diagnosis rweal
The operation t<
tasized. She nes
opaque
of the painting stands in simple contrasr to its field and remains a largely
bright yellow enffance to the right draws the eye into an alternative
for-.
however' on
space streakea *iatt shapes that could be clouds. DeFeo insisted,
nosis was not s
hoped she would
to act as if her li
ti.
than teach a firll
in another letcet
offer in this life,
The disappo
th.
p"irrterly materiality of the picture plane by layering gray strokes on top of
the yellow, an effect thit paradoxically sharpens a sense of depth. Discontinuity
in both texture and cognitive frame strengthens an experience of inward motion
by reminding viewers of the obvious fact that it must be an illusion.'8
poised
She hadlone beyond the problems the paintings of her youth had
by building on th.-. "My morale has been a bit better of late", she wrote
this series of work. "[I] want a certain softness and creamy like
ti.tly
"bo,t.
q.rxliry, but not prettines. [...] just one area that gets 'over soft' just wrecks
.rr.ryrhirrg for rne. Gradually I'm tightening' it up. Thkes a longtimeberween
moves to feel certain about the progress".te
DeFeo's work for the next seven years of her life increasingly invited viewers
to inhabit the non-material world that painting could invoke. The body,
nonetheless, was never rejeced for the trick required mobilization of physical
14. "DeFeo PaPers"' Bancroft Library'
Journal 1973, enrry for January 8 thru January
r8
DeFeot work provides.a practical application of Immanuel Kant's proposition that imagi-
17
an
nation completes the partial knowledge that the senses provide by tentatively organizing
to
have
sensations
for
the
present
be
inruition of what has not been perceived but must
A I 19' For
been intelligibl e. see citique offudgment, ss 82, 90; critique of Pure Reason, s
evidence
for
logical
provided
of
perceptions
Kant, the tchs thar allows for the organization
ble. \)7hile unde
with her second
later part of the r
The disciplir
was essential for
her energy, she
could paint whi
all small now, h
Edouard Mz
could face death
first signs of the
on a much smal
were done as he
"Concision" is tb
in 1882, and the
and simple" acco
*re enisence of a supreme deiry. DeFeo's aesthetic sought the classic goal of a sensation of
instead
dre sublime, but she persistently muted the philosophical implications. She preferred
(cf.
Tape
6A'
Stich,
interview
by
DeFeo,
16at viewers have an 'erotic" response to her work.
side one [Ocrober
Ie
20
DeFeo to
2r DeFeo
9, 1988]).
22
DeFeo to James Kelly, postmark Apr 22 1982. "DeFeo paPefs". Bancroft Library.
TRANSIT CIRCLE V.2 * NOVA 5f RIE *
2OO3
Moir
to Sai B
CtnT:28,Jova
THE LIGHT FOOT HEARS YOt.l
qrus
'futgt-I Uorrrleg
lrerqrl
€prPug)
peq)tu
',,s-raded
r
sNt9ls sslNlH9lu8 lHl oNV no^ suvlH
rool
1H9t1
lHr
€o0z +
oegrq,, .[69-gg 6I] e8ed puno[ ,g7:1 ut3 n
'6g61
lJalrt
rsoru
'parEpun
'eqeg IBs ol oacacJ
.qtod Erro4 ol oa{aq
UotJUEg ',,s:adrd oaCaq,,
.gg6l
.S
'rO
ltuls vAox
drerqq goo
rz
,y9 adel.qcrr5
lq,tra
0z
pearsur pa;raSard aq5
Jo uontsuJs e;o po3:
uo >looq asor{ \
zvrarpuy puB uopJo5 ueqou ol 8urprof,f,E .,eldurs puE
'a8rog
eJnd 8unured,, o{r eJe llr{J'esrf,uof, aJE
s8ulrured astp pue .ZggI ul
{ureuaf,
roruueaf seBJoeD puauJ srrl plor rauElnl
ef,uassa aW sr (rrolsrf,uo],,
'SulruredJo
'o.&\r
Jo
lup
e
>lJo.&\
ul
r{f,Ea
E
uo
ar{ st auop aJ3 t
petalduof,
pelsar
'r{f,nof,
(elef,s
sJe^a4.olt
Jelprus qf,nru E uo
Jo saselurf, atmrTap 's8unured rsEI srq pue
Surrured ue8aq ool aH '€BBI ul uIIr{ ilpt ppor,/'rer{r sseullr aqr3o suSrs rsrg
etp qrl/\4, u {op eruEr aq'rq8la-luoj jo aBB at41,fi <6Lgl uI 'grBap e EJ plno3
ratured E
uossel roa(go JIqEnlE E Jar{ papr oJd raueyg prrnopg
^\orl Jo
'l[E re auoP ag 01 eJa.& degr
31 eq 01 P?r.{ lagr asnrcag 'aou llBr.us IIE
aJe s8urlured rag 'rpno e uo Suluqcal uala ro Sururs ayqn rured ppor
^.
aqs eJer.l al"lf,uJ Ipurs E at?aJf, ol orpnls raq pa8ue.trral er{s 'lSraua rag
^.
Jl-resuol or papaeu aqs Sunr,ou;E '[B rAJns puonorua Jer{ JoJ lenuesse sE \
uonEr8elursp pr€o1orq
$eJ arp ul Sunured anunuor ot Jurldrf,srp aql
Jo
((,IIIEaJP
el{rJo uBd JerEI
zz'*ulY Pa ol I qf,nlu ^\oq./\4,aII>l JJ^au,, eH 'PJlou oqs
E ur run{ grr { IJBuB ro8 1,, dgrg rrar{r pue aJI 4, slq <pueqsnq puoras rar{ qry!\
uroor pudsor{ Jer{ w sE { aqs lurEerp er{s 'tuauDEarr Sulo8raprm eF.L&\ 'alq
-Etf,EJlur pue ruaserd peurcual aJrl [EuosJad Jaq Jo sluarulurodd?slp arlJ
,.'.,8urag ueurnq E sE qf,nr,u sE 'Jerptel E prre lsrue ue sE qroq '.eJII slqr ur JaJo
ol q3nlu a ErI
lBrfl ezrpar alu aPsu srq ssJu[F arr se, taDal ragroue ur
I
IIrs
alor!\ aqs ',lJpyadoq ldenrp rprllt Surpae3ord urr I. oz'peol
q]Ear uu{r
J[rg "
roJ aJuapr^a
lerlgol ps
ro{ '6I I V S,uot 2U
e^?q o1 suon€suJs arP
Surzrue8ro lJaantru
w
-feu4 rrqr
uonrsodor
.lrerqrl
UoJf,ueg
prrs^{dJo uoDtzrl
lpoq aq1 .Dloarn
sra^\ar^
Pall^q
l&
uae^uaq etJJvSuoll
$lfJJ \ lsn{ .uos J
lurcaD PuE s
DIrT
aroJ 4. eqs ,.,elEIJO
pasrodp?q qrnoft
sr.uorsnlF
uonoluPre,ry\qJo'J
llnunuocsrg .rpdq
Jo dor uo sulorrs
{
aq rqSnu rarl Surpm
v
lr'((lou eJB
Sunured;r
ragter Sunured uo snooJ ol ptr{ eqs ptre parnulT lraa str* aJII JaI{ JI s? IJE ol
perl er{s lrer{r lueuuedap raq or paurrldxa al{s sE rng 'rAIArns pFona aqs padoq
agg 'reaqdn llqeuosea.r paultrual el{s pue 'arrne8au lla.rnua lou selv\ slsou
-8o:d aqa dde.raqroruaql puB uolletper tpoq oS.raprm or papeau ar{S 'pazrstr
-seleur lpuarp per{ Jaf,rJBf ar.p rnq 'fgssaof,ns sE/!\ rI alorual ol uor}EJedo ar{J
'3rm1 rqSu Jer{ uo Suvttor8 Joulnl a8rr-l u s'e/r asrcf, ar{r pape aJ slsou8etq
'g8noc luelsrsrad B qrl \ Ef,l{V ot dlrr B ruo5 peurnlar oeCaCI '886I uI
uo la^et\oq
,palsrsu
t^IrEuJatp uE olu!
anbedolp8rrlt
aPN
a
sure
Ual erIJ uo Stnu
PeJnrdnr @gp1,2&
ar.ls rBr{r
af,uauruordal{rlqP
'pnturds r{arnua se/v\ rer{r ruaurpoqua or an8opue rJE Jelof,srp or dlpar
[BrJawu attrporurut tuog esol tm SuIeqJo 1pnp puonowa eqr eleltpe ol uoltesues
8unurcd ar{J .uonur
aqr ot elqlsp eqr Iu
mrcrher
ManettlastpaintingsDeFeoreadduringherownillness.Unliketlrerestof
Manet'seuure,theywerenotdoneforanysocialsituation'Hemadethem
,i*pfysohecouldkeepworking'Thtyweretheproofheneededthathewas
defined his social being'
still alive, indeed.o.rtinning,o gio* inthe maierthat
on canvas works; in
oil
DeFeot last paintings'wer. tit. Manet's small
foot or two wide' She reported
her case, rypically, th. .J""""' were about a
h.r efforts to keep working:
to Kelly
"bout
I,mdoingsomemordtinypaintingsonlinen-theyaresortof..mountain
as "intimate landscapes". My
shapes,, as in days oi.yorr,I think of them
on some canvases
more geometric direction or sryle sneala in too
I
mfimmt Everesc A
*rerne i
mes
and
m@dilr
lllffis
srm
of
Si
ffifuh reiarared d
ffifo
Se
nso
hMEofinudq
-mrnowplac/o
-"t +lrearblad
ilili d -sqmeclo
I'm going two ways at once' Anyway the main thing is
However' I really expected
I manage to get i., .o-t p"it'ting time every day'
therapy is well over 2
the
as
to b. f..ling like my normal self by now'
ro-.,i*.,
h"d s
nr&wb,riefnosD
precise
,o
she
feel
monthsbehindme.Butl'mterriblytiredandstillfeelingthesymptoms
be feeling better' but other
of chemotheraPyl...]*re doctor thinks I should
of therapy'' theory' I would
medical opinions suPport the "residual effects
love to believe
it
is the lattet n'her than cancer!
I try to take it in my
force of gavity' I sure hope there
stride, but doing stuffis like fighting the
more of a joy and iess
will be a return of some enerry' so that living can be
so weali''
of a chord. [...] it is hard being alone when I'm
.W.orks
..Jay
on Paper'', which opened
DeFeo:
A major show was in the wor[<s,
Museum' University
in i*t,r"ry 1990, after her death, at the University Art
museums'r DeFeo
of California, Berkeley, and then traveled to four other
a distorted view of
reported her anxieties th"t th. selecdon would Present
h.r*ork.Ahistoryofheraiuurewasfinallyunfoldingbutnottheone
comprehensive r€trosPecDeFeo had imagined. she would have preferred a
whichrneant that the
tive, but the showwas to focus on her works on PaPer'
painting'
exhibition must necessarily exclude some of her most significant
lamented'24
she
selection"'
bearing on the
'Apparently rn! oPinirynh"'
"oinvoke mountain imagery' the sy-mbolic content
' 't*,
of *t. fi, paintings
except to
readily acknowledged but without specifying any further
she
ofwhich
DeFeo: works
the published exhibition catalogue, STICH, Sidra' Ja\
1989'
UniversitY fut Museum,
on
Pa?er' Berkeley
23
See
2a
"DeFeo papers". Bancroft Library'
DeFeo to James Kelly, November 20, 1988.
*
TRANSIT CIRCLE V.2 " NOVA SERIE
1'
2OO3
rm
-DeFeo
dEl{I:
mT
Fnpct
HErdS
t€
ilo
qltus eplpu9f preqrru x sNl938 SSlNlH9l88 lHl
.drerqrl
Torrueg
ONV
'P'u 'srlou snotuelitrsltr
tr
no^ suvlH IOOI IHDII
',,sraded
orCaq"
ll--
€o0z + lluls
vAoN
'd;e:qq y
(-
:la1aryag 'udad uo
7
ot tdacxa JetFnU
aellalllel aol
MaN '{suv) Aolro5 s1q6rg s,5ryy
'saqrur
uaurl
9ixZI
7
t\
oalao
luatuof, cqoqrurs
:}lpal) oloi
}o e}eFl eqr €0oz
o
^er
uolro (886L)eln1so6uvel
uorpallor a}e^ud
,z'PsluaruEl
g
Jq
'8uuurcd ru"l5r.
eql iEI{l ruEeur r
-cadso:lal
3Uo aql
aAIsuJ
lou ln
Jo ael^ Palrolsl
oaJac €z'sulnes
&tsrartruq'runa
pauado
rpll^a'.
ssal PuE.'l
araqr ad
dru ut rr
Plno.4
JeITo
I'
]n
suotdr:.
z la^o i
<s[P-^a
aJenbs tq8pq I
IrEIq JEar / Pnolf,
SuIIIog 'uaer8 a:uo
(z'.JaAIr elll{.^a
>'qq 'uaar' asuo 'sll''no ir'Iq r'er /
,rp*;-A;w'"o ,r*tte i tt^r artg'r^
r'rorreu 'uryoq
p"tqrr,no / uolpas ssorr 7 aceld
uoduec en]q IaaN p* *'ottil*i
'ae,p
rnral E
selou]elJq
oa{e6
ur
emrso8uytl,, qJo \ erp Jo; sueld raq pcuad PelqqlJls
aJII Jaq
atll 3lIAuI o1 acua8raua Sunra'tut3o
u1 'a:rds snonmu E Jalue ol Ja'^^eIA
aqs lxeluoJ '^aau al{r ulSP\
rsoru g8norrp padola'tap PEq
Io epelap rsEI rl{r Jo
aqr Pel"rarlar IPH \
'8rtr1) uouattunuuv ,qJJo srrlroJ l'nsl^
i;;:;;;
-,6'
etgi
--J d
**rizuv o7'ur r'*'1'-'q dtu
3I{r
po8 puotssalord sFp Jo sseDns
ssauallsselu PuE rnapue'€
Jo
']"ruJoJ dun t urrpv,r ,' bt'o"p'd""'" '{q """
epls I[E.,,s eql'1io^
eqr ,,urr{ua or rag pe8ualpqr
tJ pr-;o3
s,(er"rp
erp
Jo tuarse
sE
p"q
"""tt'toru
?
"(11a1
lpns 'sarols arnlua^P"Jo
ro1
PePuIuIar
t
ttq uI aualf lueuod'n
el{s ryNaJaAT
luno}\
Surpear 8un'rets P"q aqs leql alou
Parcadt
s 8urrl
seSEA1rES
dw',*
urBlunol
parrodar ag5 '
ur
:s>lJo.& s?^
'8uraq pnos s
sE.&\ aI{ rel{J Pa
tuel{r aPBlu
a
3)II
Jo lsar aw
-?
6.TheAnnunciation(1957 1959),inDeFeo'sstuclo nsanFrancisco oloncanvas. l2o./qx741hinches
Coliection of the Art n5titute of Chicago. clft of the Lannan Foundat on, lggl .139.
O 2003 The Estate of lay
DeFeo
/ Artist,s Rights Society
cui.
Foto credit:
(ARS), New york.
aolloqlel
aol't\
:]LpJll olol
alelsl aq] €o0z o
oalao
)jro maN '(stv) /taLros s1q6l! s,lsrpv /
^ef 'o
]sel
seqru glx0Z'ururl uollO (686]') aul]ualen
uo
l)ollor ale^Ld
I
i-{
:.=1-=;.|.''.
.
:.+*;l
t r],'
t'i
!
.t1,r
-J
i', €
a
i
::tr
...
,-
:
1
'l-.€
:?
j.
Not all of her final paintings referenced mountain imagery. Her
Doue
found a dying bird near her studio. She tried but
failed to save it. She could see its pain and its longing to live in its eye. These
paintings returned to her long-standing theme of what happens when a
circular focus is set off from the rest of the picture plane. In this case, it was
also, but perhaps secondarily, a displaced symbol of her own struggle.
Last valentine (Fig.7) done in February 1989 certainly was an admission
that she had lost hope she would survive, but it also reiterates another variation on the theme of separation inherent to either emergence or entrance.
Aperture transforms into a differentiation that provides an opening to another
spatial dimension as well as the emergence of discrete forms that point toward
the ridges articulating The Rose. fu with The Rose, a thickening of the paint
in the bottom portion of the work helps to bring an illusion of movemenr
to the heart shape.26 In the moment of the tear there must be an aperture
that leads to another state of being, lyrng outside the plane defining immediate forms that might appear as either emergence or entrance (Fig. B).
series developed after she
Three m
:nrerested in
rook Srl'ril ,
,iisrurbed rn
'."ith hers. C
lersonal de.
:he mediocri
8. Smile and Lie (1989). oit on tinen, 20
1
x
6 lnches. Collection of the Estate of Jae DeFeo.
n. 1 236. O 2003 The Estate of Jay DeFeo
Aai.l s q ghts socie., {ARSr \ew lorl.
/
Foto credit: [,/]. Lee Fathetree.
26
,io do anoth
iliing but d
I don't har-e'
entitled 5rr t
n
"I have this fixation that every painting has to be fairly heavily painted somewhere" (Roth,
"Talking with DeFeo").
TRANSIT CIRCLE v.2 * NOVA SERTE * 2003
I lJeFeo ia
:i
LIGHT FOO-i
-ir
qlus eplpugf peqrru
+
'd.rr:qr1 Uorfu"g ',,sraded oecacl,,
sNI9l8 SslNIHDlug IHI oNV no^ suvlH
'686I '8I
lpf l1a;
looi IH'F
€002 +
fr!l1L
sarutf ot orJrcl --
'qrou)
'(Ot Pue 6 Stg) ruopstlyto swlllrl uanasPelrw?
ol PaUIqs snfoJ JaH Lz'<]LEY l'uoP I
eqs r"ql 'ptetsul s3uutt;p io selJes "
'ale'radooc ruor'rdpoq aqr lnq Suqpu
l8raua uE sPurueP5nrs ITEIus aIF ua^fl
gerus dru3o dnor8 Jaqlout oP 01
sr rrlds er1],,'panutluof,'al{s',,sbut}urcd
Suraq sg 3o lrrrcolParu eqr
dn parg Ip tu? L, 'tuetuour Stitq " ro3 ''(1uo.31 aq '*iq'p""'pl''q '{1"tttrto) l'tll srrlseP puosred
Jo rno rdml peq ilns
'p,r,
sr{ ulqlvnr sorrP eq} IIE ue^lD 'sJeq qlt.\\
'poo,ip1t,{, ,q;"o1 sn{ 'lnos
aqJ 'Pe^resgo aqs "u"ur PegrnlsD
paltuoseJ agrl puosrad sII{ Jo sern]IEJ
s'taillcl uanas lroog
s"
llpes rnq ruEIIIIrq g, dqdeiSolq E s" IIe'/v\ 'ruoysryyto
uI
ltuls
.<rrJr{.{\Ju
':1c.1
/ oaj;c i:
'oalac aer ic :
x 0z 'uaui -
afueJ/(E-I
'EIq"JV
Palser3lu
sq pser PuE el^our aq1 13 Pa>lool aqs (PaIP Jo
eqs erojaq sqluolu oeJql
eurof,eg PEI{ eqs reqr ',(11a) alor',u oecec
)ro
p
aql 1o '&epnor
)ro^ MeN fuallPD plalueso! laeq)rt\
qdprbotol]d llo^ MoN'(sUVr llar)os slu6lu s lsrl-V
jo olelsl aql €OOZ O uorpellof a1e^ud
ZZ x 0€'laded uo leolleql
MaN'(SUU IlaPoS slqbE s,lsruv
/ oeloc
]o alelsl aql E00z o
^ef
aLlI +o uorl)allof
77 y u 'oap6 Ae1 10 alelsl
/ oolec
^er
'saqlul
'saqlul ZZ x 0€ laded uo leollPL.ll
+o srellrd ua^as 0 t
'GS6D Z# uropsrM jo srellrd ua^as 6
'G860 9# tuopsrM
'(e '3lg)
-arurur Surr
a;nt;ade ue
lueuJe^ou J
rured aqr3o
pre,trOt
tulo
raqloue or 3
'af,u?Jlua ro
-ETJEA
Jaqtou
uorssruJPE rf
'af8nr
sEA,
lI
'asBf s
? ueq,r suJ
asega'ela sr
lnq Parrr ar{(
:e11'
arto67
InHeidegger's..originsofthe.WorkofArc,,thephilosopherarguEd
,n",-f*ry ,JJ.l.a .h.i"orld of being sheltered by the earth. \fithin Sc
and institutionrl
irr,.rpr.,"iion I have offered, the "world" is the professional
.r,oi-rr-.rrt that establishes the problems and practices a contemPorarry
.{7hat the "earth" t"ig}t. be, that shelter that is nonetheless im
f"rr".s.
"r,ir,
final works of DeFeorr
.orrrr"rr, strife with the world, is more elusive. These
may offer a clue.
Inthisseries,emergenceandentranceoscillate'Theyarenotinbalancc
eruPtion' blockage' lesionbut they coexist ,,rp.ritpo"d on one another as
beyond system of,
."rri.y \?'hile ,.-"ini,'g''ePresentation' the image leaps
of differentiation' For an interrepresentatior, ,o t'rn.orr., idt" "' a Process
within. the proces$
pr.t"tion to form, its negatives must .coexist' providing
emerged along witr
of _."rrirrg_formation itJ.orrrt"rrt subversion. \Torlds
;;p;;;r#,ubjects, but the matrix for meaning threatened but also sheltered
need not be
i-*girr",ion by ephemer alizing the immediate' Imagination
\7e can
earth'
the
of
Jr,?gft. of 'bnto.htho"ott'" o' literally growing out
",
different subject
J.n"? it as a way of speaking about the gap between the
well as the plav
as
social relations
f.ri.i"", a person has given her multipleinto
an individualt life'
i' tho,rght ihi, ,.d.trrd"ncy introduces
iirur
nace
m,rm
*rffiffirn's,;
l:.
jilffiumrumrna'
:e;
'Ufr0lmfitr-tsff
:Ll :
DeFsc":
-nfl,,lrrrci-
I
,ul*am{tr'r-"
J
uumcq
-g;
:$l01ilU!ll0tr!r:ra
fi!:frmElre;
rmmqnr:,,:n
dihu
,
i5
,j ;
"-i
ry;--::e-r
iuroo
ie
zu-
ffiq6 ;r:wrer
5
Soorr,rh.strengthforevendrawingfailedaswell'Inthelastweekofher
she could
life, while ,.r,rgllirrg against pain 'ht thought beyond anything
DeFeo still worked on faint pencil sketches, wispy
was to
graphite iin", f"dirrg in and out of the paper' To continuedrawing
irr.r. ,h. persistence of a self that emerged around the factuality of her
h* i-"gir,.a"f.*iUti
inevitable physical absence.
I have ,,r.rr.d the centraliry of professional identity to the subject-posi-
as death approation that DeFeo occupied. This linkage indeed grew stronger
subjectivity
ched, because she had developed a historicized, professional
canvases
Her
within an imaginary of her eventual personal absence .
sheltered
life, condensations that harmonized the messy
by positioning
contradictions that constantly engulfed her everyday existence
lifetime available to
her uuure into a trqectory extending far beyond the
towards mortaliry,
any mortal human. i{er paintings reveal a being pointed
,oiorro* existentialist i"ng.r"g., but they also reveal that this rype of being
served as condensatior$
ofh.,
TRANSIT CIRCLE V2 * NOVA S€RIE "
2OO3
t+
- ---
:_ -:-.-
iNjG
-x3;-
-
:-€
r00z , lttSs vAoi
qluseplpug)preq)!!+sNl9]Bss]N]Hglu€]H.!oNVno^SUVSHloo].rH9n]H-r
sSut'rq lrrrelnrrued r'roq
'G-Cl.'FulWlo tSopuawouaq4) Psrallun aqr Sureq otut
,qrrna prreol ,ua:Bdde ar{l rruar{'uolleururuJslP pue uostreduorlo alqtdrc sI leql PUIITI
aqr
srrr;oJsueJl pacnpo'rd stq rr l;o't\:elnrlrred
sr ttrll'ssausnoltsuor PsJaAIun e olulJIeslI
etP rtql uolltsod 11a8ag grr'n aredruo3 *'
q8norqrllasrl;o al?l{? seruofaq leql ssausnoltrsuof
Suraq3o adlr sr
'lrrpuour spre,r
or elqEIr"^E arrn
Suluonrsod dg a
lssau eqr pezru
sas"AuEf JaH 'ef
drr,rrrcafgns pu
-eorddt rpeap
se
-rsod-roafqns a
raq Jo lrrpnrre.
ot st,l\ Suyvterp
,{dsv*'saqcrals
ppor
ags
8urrl
rer{ Jo >leea lsE
.AJiI
,(e1d agr sE ila/t\
rrefqns ruaraflll
rftf a/N 'r{}JEa
e
aq lou Paeu u
8z'Por"Inuns
(elgEeJEI{s
Js aod IEI{I
eql
PIrE
'{lpnroe
Sururaru 'lesla,uun lou aJoJeJeql Pu? 'Pelltuq
aql
xIJlEuJ asoq'& suonnlllsurJo afu?rnPue
rqgnoqlJo'Ja,Lrod a,ute8au aql sBA\
uolldros
orur drlpnpi'r'pul
agl
IIeJo
Suruassr,(q ssacord pcrSololq3o xlrl'ur
E sI PalEa sl
uE3 1"91 suollelal IEIfos Jo }as
-gEeJ puE r{r"aP Jo sJ"ei Jalunoc
suollfullslP agr ut-saSrauJa uoIlBn}IS
plrolt\ aI{I 'e>lBtu tr,, pt"* aq} r"qr
aculs
i.oq" 8t"t1t'np Puur 3o srcnpo'rd'{g art laqr
e
lefrrolsrH
'efuere3glP
(uollett'3"*'
Perallaqs osIB ln
qrrru 8uo;e pa8r
ssero.rd aqr unl
-Jalul uE Joc '
yo uatsls puo
'uorsal
'a8t>1eo1<
'.af,uElBg
uI tou
dro8arrc
,prauaqda ag lsnru sellastueql suJJoJ
I[ef uBJ arnr tegt
aqr oluolt?Ituer
,ssacord
BL'.P ? rou sr acua8rarua rrqr aar8ap
Frueru " r.q
paroldxa.lJo^& s'.oa{3C
st
-agrp a,rlrardJetul Jo tt'*""o* r &nnca(gns
'puosrad ,(1a'lnd aqr Jo soeqr rca(qt aqt ol lserluof
aql pue sdIlsuorl"lal Fuotss{
>lrrls ur papr,rord deqr suolltsod rcafgns PIIols
rEln'pnd aqr - Prlrolsr{ Pu" luereJJIP
-ord agr dg partrprur Surag IEIros
s're33apra11 tou st
lng lrrprouo qt"' '" 8t""g 3o tdacuor
s,oa{ac Jo $lr
ur ssaloqlauou
lnrodruatuoc'
Puonnlnsur
PE
aqr uqruN'r
panSre reqdosc
,(ra,r Surqrauos