Paula Rego

by Fiona Bradley

Paula Rego (b. 1935) is acknowledged to be one of the leading figurative artists at work today. Influenced by Surrealism, folklore, dreams, and Disney animation, she creates strongly narrative works imbued with a sense of subversive mystery. Fiona Bradley provides a thorough and searching account of Rego's life and work, drawing on new interviews with the artist that shed light on Rego's own assessment of her art. Six key works, demonstrating the development of her working methods, are discussed in depth.

Genres: Art

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2002

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

In common with many, I find Paula Rego's work intense and disturbing. Therefore, even a comparatively slim, selective survey such as this can be almost overwhelming, taken over a short space of time. I wonder also if the miniaturised reproductions of paintings, prints and drawings do not both diminish the originals - of which I've seen comparatively few - and make them even more impenetrably enigmatic. But this is a good primer, and communicates well Rego's uniqueness and importance in contemporary figurative and narrative art.

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated with colour reproductions. Marred by a serious typographical error on page 31: Victor Willing (Rego's close collaborator) died in 1988, not 1998. This coincided with the Paula Rego retrospective exhibition in Lisbon (also in 1988), not 1998. One can only hope that new editions will be more fastidious.

[Rossana · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is a wonderful artist who represents women on the 20th and 21st ct. The book is outdated since her latest paintings are not included. It has good information, very good pictures and opinions by the expert author and the painter on her work.