Female Model Seated on Mexican Blanket

Female Model Seated on Mexican Blanket

1972

Oil on canvas

Philip Pearlstein

     Many of the paintings throughout the Fine Arts Center have very powerful meanings and striking meanings. I found Female Model Seated on Mexican Blanket to be different. To me it has ambiguity that brings the view to make their own interpretations behind the artist’s meanings. Berger writes that “…a woman’s presence expresses her own attitude to herself, and defines what can and cannot be done to her” and that “… there is nothing she can do which does not contribute to her presence.” The painting then follows these ideas while avoiding them. Pearlstein creates a piece of art that leaves much ambiguity that one cannot simply view this piece and objectify or make judgments of the woman or his message.

     If we first view the woman herself, she is of a very average build. Her sink is not flawless as we can see wrinkles. She has some fat tissue that would be considered more than what we consider to be a supermodel but certainly not in any amount that could be considered to be unhealthy. She has body hair but it is not unkempt. Her pose is very natural and does not suggest nor hide any notion of sexuality or intent. Berger writes that as female nudes became more secular that “She is not naked as she is. She is naked as the spectator sees her.” This could not be more true with Pearlstein’s paining. This lady is naked as she is, if someone were to sexualize this paining then they will have had to contrive this idea on their own. If someone was to say that she is in a process of changing clothes or simply enjoying freedom from clothing they would again be doing this on their own.

The objects in the background similarly hint at nothing greater than ambiguity. Mexican blankets are owned by everyone in the southwest and Mexico. The wall does not have any decoration and the chair rail while crafted does not seem extravagant. This painting could have been taken in any background from the very rich to those who can simply afford the sweat it takes to build the inside of their home. Pearlstein also does not include the woman’s face. This also hides any social status, age, or intent of the woman.

     The strongest point here is the beauty of the natural body. Berger writes that “To be naked is to be oneself” and “Nakedness Reveals itself.” In this painting we see the natural nudity of the human body. This naturalness being that we add clothes onto ourselves, hiding our bodies. Rather than stripping our clothes to reveal something. This woman could be any woman, she is not rich nor is she poor, she is not a model of seduction nor is she unattractive, she is neither prim nor worn. This piece is very different from most of Pearlstein’s works where there is much more detain in the person and the objects or actions around them. This leaves the viewer to make out the meaning of the painting, or as I prefer to make the simple inflection to only admire the natural beauty of the body.

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London: British Broadcasting, 1972orn. Print.