Miss Interpreted, Marlene Dumas
Born in Cape Town South Africa, Marlene Dumas is one of the best-known contemporary artists in the world. In her paintings, usually life-sized, she depicts human figures that wrestle with emotions. The relation between art and female beauty, art and pornography, female models and models of art, all have been a constant theme for Marlene Dumas. The documentary film ‘Miss Interpreted’ follows the artist’s activities for a period of six months while she prepares for an exhibition, thus giving us intimate insights into her work and ideas.
About Marlene Dumas and her art
Often described as an ‘intellectual expressionist’, Marlene Dumas blurs the boundaries between painting and drawing, figurative and abstract. Bold lines and shapes mix seamlessly with ephemeral washes and thick gestural brushwork. By simplifying and distorting her subjects, Marlene Dumas creates intimacy through alienation. She paints without taboo. Racism, sexuality, religion, motherhood and childhood are all presented with chilling honesty. Her subjects’ assertive stares suggest that her paintings aren’t actually about them, but the viewer’s own reaction to their perverse circumstance.
Current Relevance
Dumas’ work has been widely exhibited and her paintings are in many important collections including, Tate Gallery, London, De Pont Foundation, Netherlands, Centre Pompidou, Paris and the Art Institute of Chicago amongst others. Solo shows of Dumas’ work are planned for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tokyo and MoCA, LA. Dumas was a participating artist in the 46th Venice Biennale.
Why ‘Miss Interpreted’
Those who search for meaning in Marlene Dumas’s work are opening a Pandora’s box of possibilities, none of which produce a definitive answer. Such is the ability of her work to provoke that Marlene Dumas has come to call herself Miss Interpreted. Although figurative language is closely connected with a reality that can be described, Dumas, in fact, uses the figurative in a sly way. She likes to suggest that things are not always what they seem.
Scenes
Marlene Dumas: Preparation for exposition part 1
Marlene Dumas discusses her workplans for a future exposition in the Koyanagi gallery in Tokyo with an employee.
Marlene Dumas: Preparation for exposition part 2
Marlene Dumas starts with working on her paintings for an upcoming exposition in the Koyanagi gallery in Tokyo.
Marlene Dumas about apartheid in South Africa.
Marlene Dumas is visiting her old church in South Africa together with her brother Pieter. They talk about the bad politics and apartheid during their childhood.
The art of Marlene Dumas inspired by relationships and films
In this scene, Marlene Dumas explains how human relationships have been, and continue to be an important source of inspiration for her art work. She also focuses on the link between her work and the world of film.
Marlene Dumas: Preparation for exposition part 3
Marlene Dumas starts to work on another painting for the upcoming exposition in Tokyo, in Koyanagi gallery.
Marlene Dumas: Preparation for exposition part 4
In this scene, Marlene Dumas is working on the paintings of the new boys and discussing the work with her employee. She’s preparing her exposition for the Koyanagi gallery in Tokyo.
Dumas’ vision on paintings
According to Marlene Dumas, the content and the feeling of a painting cannot be separated. Therefore, paintings are more than they portray.
Marlene Dumas: Preparation for exposition part 5
Here we see Marlene Dumas criticizing the paintings she is working on for the upcoming exposition in the Koyanagi gallery in Tokyo.
Fragment footage of Marlene Dumas’ ‘Don’t talk to strangers’
Fragment from film footage where Marlene Dumas discusses her work called Don’t talk to strangers. This footage was made in 1989. In this fragment Marlene Dumas explains the meaning of her painting.
Marlene Dumas: Preparation for exposition part 6
Marlene Dumas is explaining the meaning of the recently painted pieces for the art Koyanagi gallery in Tokyo. She describes the atmosphere of the paintings of the young male figures.
Marlene Dumas: Preparation for exposition part 7
Marlene Dumas welcomes the Japanese Koyanagi gallery owner Atsuko Koyanagi. She is visiting Dumas to take a look on the paintings Dumas is working on. The paintings have been made for an exposition in her gallery in Tokyo.
