9thApril2010

NikiDeSaintPhalle

Nikiwasaverytalentedartist.Shestartedindrama,andthendecidedtobecomeanartist.Shepainted,sculptedandevenwasamovieProducer!Sheisoneofthemostfamousartistinthe20thCentury,knownforher‘nanas’,thesculptureandforbeingoneofthefirstwomantobecomeanartistatthattime,completelyputtingbehindtheideaofwomanstayingathometocookandraisechildren.Shewasaveryviolentanddepressedwoman,butputtingitallintoherpaintings,usingviolenceanddeathinherworks,thatiswhatmadehercontinue.AbitofherLife…CatherineMarie‐AgnesFaldeSaintPhallewasborninFrance,inNeuilly‐sur‐SeineonOctober301930.Sheisthesecondchild.Herfatherworkedwithhissevenbrothersinthebankinghouse.Whenthebankcollapsedin1930,NickiissenttoNievrewithherpaternalgrandparents,whereshewillspendthenextthreeyearsthere.In1933,NickigoestotheU.S.A,inGreenwich(Connecticut)andsherefindsherparents.In1937,herparentsmovetoNewYork,andNikigoestotheConventSchooloftheSacredHeart,howeverin1941sheisexpelled.In1942,shemovestoPrinceton,intheNewJerseywithhergrandparents.ThegrandparentshadtomoveawayfromFrancebecauseoftheSecondWorldWar.NikiattendsthelocalschoolinPrinceton.NikimovesbackwithherparentsandattendsBrearlySchoolwhereshestartsLearninghowtoactandtheartofpoetry.ShewritesfewpoemsamongwhichisLaPeste.In1944,Nikipaintspartofastatuebrightred.Thedirectorsuggeststhatsheleavesorgoestoapsychiatrictreatment.HerparentsenthertoConventSchoolatSuffren,inNewYork.

In1947,NikigraduatesfromOldfieldSchool,whichisinMaryland.From1948to1949,NikiworksasamodelforVogueandothervariousmagazines.ShethengetsmarriedtoHarryMathewsattheageofeighteen.Heisnineteen,andaU.Smarine.In1950,theygetremarriedtoNiki’sparentwishesinfrenchChurchinNewYork.ThecouplesettleCambridge,intheMassachusettsstate.HestudiesmusicintheHarvardUniversity,andshestartspainting.Nikigivesbirthtotheirfirstchild,alittlegirl,in1951.In1952,NikiandherfamilymovetoParis.Harrycontinuesstudyingmusicandshestudiesdrama.TheyvisitalotofmuseumsandcathedralsinFrance,SpainandItaly.Nikiisinterrestedbytheideathatacathedralistheresultofa«collectiveideal.»This,later,willhaveanimportantimpactonherwork.In1953,shehasanervousbreakdown.Nikipaintsandthathelpedheralottoovercomethecrisisandstressofherlife.Shegivesupdramaanddecidestobecomeanartist.Shebeginstobeobsessedaboutbeinganartist.In1954,shemeetsHughWeiss,anAmericanartist.Hewillbecomehermentorforthenextfiveyears.Thenextyear,Nikigavebirthtoherson,Phillip.ShevisitsBarcelona,wheresheseesGaudi’swork.Sheisveryimpressedannowhasadreamofhavingagardenwithhersculptures.OnApril1956,shedoesanexhibitofheroilpaintingsinSt.Gallen.From1956to1958,NikimeetsvariouswriterswithHarry,andvisitstheLouvre,whichinspiresher.Forthefirsttime,shewilltakeonofJeanTinguely’ssculptureandcoveritwithplaster.In1960,sheseperateswithherhusband.Fromthere,shewillstartexperimentingwithhersculptures.In1971,shemarriesfrenchsculptorJeanTinguely.Sheachievedherdreamin1979whensheaquieredapieceoflandinTuscany,wheresheworkedfor20yearsonhersculptures.Shediedin2002ofapneumonia.

NikiDeSaintPhallewhensheworkedasmodel.Herworksandtheirmeaning

OneofhermostfamousworksmustbetheTarotGarden,whichwasherdreamforveryalongtime.Whenshewasyoung,hermotherwasn’tverygoodtoher,andNikihadtocreateherownvaluesoflife.Herparent’sexpectationofherwasthatsheshouldmarryagentlemanofhighstatue.Shewasdespisedbyhermother,andhatedherfatherforwhenshewaseleven,hehadtriedtomakeherhismistress.Runningawayfromherparent’sexpectation,thatisalsoexpressedinherworks.Inherpast,shewasexpelledfromaschoolbecauseshetriedpaintingastatuebrightred.Notonlywasherartstrangetosomepeople,althoughitwasn’ttoostrangesinceabstractandcubismhadbeenhereforawhile,shewasoneofthefirstwomanartist.Shedefiedtherulesthatwomanshouldstayathomeandcook.Shedefiedthe‘maleworld’.First,shestartedwithpaintings.Shewouldgoandbuypiecesofbricksandstonesandputthemintoherpaintings.Shesaidthatitrepresentedherheart.Beautifulyetbroken.Later,whenshewaswithJeanTiguely,theytookgunsandshootedatthingsfilledwithpaint.Nikiputherangeranddepressionineachsinglegunshot.Inherpaintings,wecanseeherhateforsociety,meningeneral,hermother.Shewentthroughoutthecountriesandshowedherpaintings,sometimesevenshootedinfrontofpeople.Hercareerwasnowboosted,forshewasfamousthroughoutthecountries.Shehadachievedoneofhergoals:becomeaproffesionalartist.Afterthatcamedeathandsadness.Shewouldgoandtakesimpleobject,likeadollandmakeacollagewithotherobjects.Sheportrayedwomaninsociety‐>Brides,mothergivingbirthetc…Afterthedeathandsadness,shehadanewfeelingwithsheexpressedwhenshestartedsculpting.Love,andhappiness.ShefellinlovewithJeanTiguely,andshewantedtoexpressthatinhersculpture.Herfirstsculpturewascreatedin1965.Itwasasculpturecompletelydifferentfromwhathadbeenseenbefore.Thestatuewascolorfulandrepresentedawoman.Shenamedhersculpturesthenanas.Basically,ananawasasculpturewithnoface,thatwasn’tveryrealisticbutwasverycolorful.Itwasoriginallymadeofpapiermache,butlatershealsousedpolyster.

NanaVase,NikiDeSaintPhalle,1993,Polyesterpaint,ContemporaryAsyoucantellonthissculpture,itisnotrealistic.Thewomaniscompletelyblackbutwearsverybrightcolors,rainbowlikecolors.Insteadofhavingarightarm,shehadayellowthing.ThesesculpturesarecreatedjustaftertheSecondWorldWar,andshehadanervousbreakdown,andherdivorce.Themeaningofeachofhersculptureisvery

deep.Theysymbolizeherfeelings,herlife.Nanasinfrenchmeanschicks,anditwasalsoawaytoshowNiki’sfeminite.

NikiDeSaintPhalle,LaFeteIn1966,NikiisaskedtocreateabignanasfortheswedishmuseumModerna.Itwas28meterslong,andwasfullofcolors.Nikiherselfsaidthatthenanaswaslikeagodess,sogreat,sobig,eatingeveryoneupastheyentered.

NikiDeSaintPhalle,Hon,1966,Moderna(Swedan)TheTarotGardenTheTarotGardenisknowntobeNiki’smostfamouswork.Ittookheraboutfifteenyearstobuildit.SheboughtsomelandneartheseashoreinTuscany.Thenshestartedherproject,workingforfifteenyear.Itwasplacedesignedtodreamandrelax.Inthere,youcanseeNiki’sdetermination,faithandhardwork.Shewasobsessedwithheridea.

Shedesignedthe22architectaltarot.Everythingwasmadeofdifferentmaterials,makngitevenbetteranduniquetosee.Itwastheperfectharmonybetweennatureandartwork.However,howdidshemanagetogetallthismoney?Wellshegothelpedbyherfriends,butalsoshecreatedalineofperfumecalledNikiDeSaintPhalle.

Shedesignedtheperfumebottleherself.However,Nikisoonfacedanotherproblem.Shecouldn’tsculptanymorebecauseshesufferedathritis.Butthatdidn’tstopher.Shetoldeveryonewhattodo,andcontinuedworkinghard.Allofthat,itcanbeseeninherTarotGarden.

Thiswasthemagicien,symbolizinggod:thecreatorofearth.It’sonthehighestpeaktoshowallitsglory.ItiswatchingoveralltheTarotGarden,it’sprotectinganyonewhoenters.

Death.Withoutdeath,lifewouldhavenomeaning.It’srepresentedbyaskeletononahorse,killingpeoplealongtheway.

TheSun.Thisisrepresentedlikethisbecausethebirdistheclosestthingtothesun.

Strengh.Theladybeatsthedragonwithaninvisiblethread.Thetruemonstertheladymustfaceisinsideherself.TheTarotGardenisaplacewheresurnaturalisalmostreal.Inaway,Nikiputherfeelingsofallofwhathashappenedthroughoutherlife.After,in1993,duetohealthproblems,shemovedtoCalifornia.Thereshecontinuedcreatingstatuesfullofcolors,focusingherselfmoreonpublicstatues.Evennowadays,Nikiisainspirationforallyoungwoman.ThisconcludestheessayonthemeaningandlifeofNikiDeSaintPhalleandherwork.