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Catalog Data

Artist:
Ruth Ellen Weisberg, born 1942  Search this
Sitter:
Ruth Ellen Weisberg, born 1942  Search this
Medium:
Color lithograph on paper
Dimensions:
Sheet: 57.2 x 76.4cm (22 1/2 x 30 1/16")
Mount: 62.1 × 81.6 cm (24 7/16 × 32 1/8")
Type:
Print
Date:
1975
Exhibition Label:
Ruth Weisberg, whose art focuses on women’s roles and family relationships, infuses her paintings and prints with autobiographical references. As one colleague of hers has noted, even in a self-portrait, such as this, she functions “as Everywoman, who plays the role of guide to our memories, dreams, fears, and aspirations.” This lithograph derives from photographs and videos of Weisberg’s 1975 performance piece, also entitled The Gift, in which she danced on stage in front of a video of toddlers—including her own daughter—at a birthday party. Her gift of life to her child is returned with the many benefits of parenthood. But as she reaches out to the children, one senses the bittersweet implication that her attempt at establishing a generational connection is futile. The mother will never touch the child of the film who frolics close behind her.
Ruth Weisberg, cuyo arte se centra en los roles femeninos y las relaciones familiares, incorpora referencias autobiográficas en sus pinturas y grabados. Como ha señalado una colega suya, incluso en un autorretrato como este Weisberg asume la función de “la mujer arquetípica, que se convierte en guía de nuestros recuerdos, sueños, temores y aspiraciones”. Esta litografía se deriva de fotografías y videos del performance de 1975 titulado The Gift, en el que Weisberg baila en un escenario frente a un video de niños pequeños, entre ellos su hija, en una fiesta de cumpleaños. El regalo de vida que le ha dado a su hija se ve recompensado con los numerosos beneficios de la maternidad. Pero cuando la observamos tratando de alcanzar a los niños, intuimos la implicación agridulce de que son inútiles sus intentos de establecer una conexión entre las generaciones. La madre nunca logrará tocar a la niña de la película, que juguetea detrás de ella, tan cerca.
Topic:
Self-portrait  Search this
Ruth Ellen Weisberg: Female  Search this
Ruth Ellen Weisberg: Visual Arts\Artist\Printmaker  Search this
Ruth Ellen Weisberg: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; the Ruth Bowman and Harry Kahn Twentieth-Century American Self-Portrait Collection
Object number:
S/NPG.2002.364
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
Copyright:
© Ruth Ellen Weisberg, courtesy of Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, Los Angeles
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location:
Currently not on view
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm47c173d57-312d-44bf-9ecf-5534c250ab0f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_S_NPG.2002.364