‘Make a Painting Bleed’ with Niki de Saint Phalle at the Menil Collection – Chron

The Menil Collection will bring the work of one of modern arts most consistently provocative figures to Houston when it debuts Niki de Saint Phalle in the 1960s on Sept. 10.

Highlighting her shooting paintings artworks upon which she trained a .22 caliber firearm and enormous Nana sculptures, the exhibition positions Saint Phalle as a key figure in mid-century Modernism through the display of artworks from both the Menils permanent collection as well as dozens lent from Europe and never previously on view in the United States.

The Menils presentation challenges viewers to dig beneath the surface of Saint Phalles work.

Niki de Saint Phalle's Pirodactyl over New York, 1962.

For instance, it would be easy to assume her groundbreaking shooting paintings were produced as a personal response to the childhood sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. Saint Phalles artwork was many things, but it was never easy.

When Saint Phalle aimed a rifle at white plaster surfaces concealing embedded bags of pigment or cans of paint which exploded spectacularly upon the impact of the bullets she wasnt merely taking aim at her father, she was taking aim at patriarchal societies. Societies defined by violence. A centuries-long history of Western art purposefully excluding the contributions of women.

Saint Phalle wanted to make a painting bleed not only for herself, but for women everywhere.

It would also be easy to assume the self-taught artist born to an aristocratic family in France and raised in New York City, a woman who modeled for Vogue magazine in addition to producing her continuously rebellious artwork, was an outsider, a fringe character operating in isolation from contemporary art world trends and conversations.

Niki de Saint Phalle'sGrand Tir Sance de la Galerie J, 1961. Comprised of paint, plaster, wire mesh, string and plastic on chipboard.

That assumption would be wrong as well.

Saint Phalle worked closely with modern art titans Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. Her work was every bit as meaningful and engaged with that period as theirs.

So how come shes a relative unknown outside scholarly art circles and their household names?

Thats one of the reasons why she was shooting at those paintings.

Saint Phalle (1930-2002) represents an essential missing piece to the puzzle of modern art. The universal themes of her work ingrained cultures of violence, the tyranny of patriarchy, female empowerment produced more than 60 years ago, address todays culture and gender wars with an insight so prescient as to prove almost spooky.

Its the reason were doing this show and its the reason we felt like its so urgent, and so exciting, to be able to present this work to the public now, exhibition co-curator and Menil Collection Senior Curator Michelle White said of the show.

Madame, or Green Nana with Black Bag, by Niki de Saint Phalle.

The presentation is the first to explore this early, transformative, incredibly radical, proto-feminist in Whites words 10-year period in Saint Phalles career. It was during this period she embarked on two significant series: the shooting paintings and the powerful "Nanas," lively sculptures of the female form.

The shooting series came first.

How can paintings produced from the vagaries of chance inherent from being shot by a gun be considered art?

Saint Phalle always knew where she was shooting in order to lodge that bullet in that bag of pigment that would explode perfectly, White said. She very much knew what she was doing, and as a result, while much of the process is due to chance, it is an incredibly choreographed set of actions that would transpire to create the work and you can certainly see that when you are standing in front of many of the examples we have on view.

Roughly 20 shooting paintings are on display in the show, including one shot at by Johns.

Niki de Saint Phalle's Bathing Beauty, 1967.

Saint Phalle produced her shooting paintings for just a couple of years, her Nanas French slang for girls she would stay with most of the rest of her career.

When she first made these women who were curvaceous and joyous and athletic and strong and bold, she talked about creating a matriarchal society, she talked about creating a scale where these women would look down at the male viewer, dominate the space, White explains.

John and Dominique de Menil were early champions of Saint Phalle, acquiring a small group of works from her first show in New York. They are among the few owners of Saint Phalles art among American collectors.

Niki de Saint Phalle in the 1960s will remain on view at the Menil, where admission is always free, through Jan. 10, 2022.

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'Make a Painting Bleed' with Niki de Saint Phalle at the Menil Collection - Chron