Paula Rego, The Maids, 1987, acrylic on canvas backed paper, 214 × 244 cm. (Courtesy The Saatchi Gallery.)
Activity 1 - Looking at Works of Art
Look at the following works and make some notes for each one in response to the following questions.
Do you like it?
No.
How does it make you feel?
The Maids makes me feel uneasy. Uncomfortable. It’s very surreal to me, like something out of a nightmare that’s left me feeling very anxious and on edge. All is not right here, and I’m not sure what, or why.
Is it art? Briefly explain the reasons for your answer.
Even though I’m not sure I like this painting, for me it still qualifies as art. It’s a painting, which has a long tradition in art - one that goes back thousands of years. It evokes emotion in me, and likely in others too. It’s telling a story - so many elements here give meaning to the form.
I think I struggle with saying I don’t like a work. Shouldn’t good art make me uneasy? Provoke me? Isn’t it successful if it does that? Isn’t it more successful than finely crafted beauty pieces that aren’t challenging to ones thoughts?
Don't spend more than a minute or two responding to each question. Questions 1 and 3 require a simple ‘yes' or ‘no’ answer and some brief explanation for question 3. For question 2 you could record your immediate feelings about the works represented, using one word answers (for example ‘happy’ or ‘confused’) rather than complete sentences.
Unit 3: Activity 4 - Recording Your Feelings
First Impressions: Pastel colours, some earth tones but it all feels in shadow - there is light coming in and hitting the back wall, it feels artificial. The maids are persons of colour. They are tending to two white women. Black pig in lower right corner. Foreboding feeling, something isn’t right. The girl in green feels very forlorn, she faces us but her head is looking down, eyes closed with resignation, hands resting together on her lap. You can see her closed eye reflected in a small mirror sitting on the makeup table. A girl in red is not facing forward, there’s action in her stance, as it she might be wailing in pain, arms raised in objection and a feeling of abandonment. Her left arm holds the arm of the maid, as her head is pressed against the maid’s chest and the maid is resting her head on hers as if trying to comfort her.
Suggested Course Answer: Alice in Wonderland. Story-telling. Intriguing.