2019-03-01_American_Art_Collector

(Martin Jones) #1

078 http://www.AmericanArtCollector.com


COLLECTOR'S FOCUS
WOMEN ARTISTS

painted Oracle, birds represented release
and freedom to her. In Greek mythology,
ravens were associated with Apollo, the god
of prophecy. The actual stories of ravens
in myth and art are as complex as are our
responses to them. Becker-Black has her
own interpretations of the juxtapositions of
meanings in her work but encourages the
viewer to bring his or her own.
In her self-portraits dressed in intricate
lace, Shana Levenson can be holding
party balloons or be visited by humming-
birds while wearing a gas mask. In The
Messenger, it’s a raven. Levenson notes,
“There is an important significance of the
raven in the painting. After researching the
different interpretations of the symbolism
of ravens...for me...the raven signifies
wisdom and courage but there are several
fascinating ways others can interpret a
raven.” Levenson’s portraits draw on her
life experience and reflect her intent to get
to know and to portray the person behind
the faces she paints.
Contradictions can make a whole.
The raven brings similar and different
messages in the work of Becker-Black
and Levenson. Suchitra Bhosle, who was
brought up in Bangalore, India, portrays

complementary opposites in her portrait
Shiva Shakti. Shiva and Shakti represent
the masculine and feminine principles
respectively—Shiva is consciousness and
Shakti is energy. However, in their cosmic
union, Shiva is Shakti and Shakti is Shiva,
a whole that may boggle the Western mind.

Behind the figure is an inverted triangle,
Shakti’s symbol. An upright triangle is the
symbol for Shiva. The model’s inverted
triangle pendant completes the inverted
triangle in a different plane. Following in
the footsteps of Sargent, Zorn, Sorolla and
Fechin, she uses the concepts of impres-

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