Mourning Marisol

Artist Marisol Escobar passed away on April 30^th at the age of 85. An artist whose breakthrough show was described as “remarkable”, Marisol experienced an instant recognition that is afforded to few. Nonetheless, she carefully weighed her engagement with the world of art, remaining equally captivating and elusive. 

Her style – described somewhere along the lines of folk and pop – is unmistakable, particularly in her sculptural work, where Marisol engaged in the melding and molding of materials and motifs, experimenting with a multi dimensional playfulness. Her sculptures explore both the public and private, depicting figures that ranged from her own family to the Kennedy’s.  

While critics sought the correct definition to encapsulate her art, attraction to her work remained irrefutable. Pieces were acquired by major institutions, such as the MoMa, and she participated throughout the sixties in various seminal group shows. She featured in the New York Times, was included in Life Magazine’s “A Red-Hot Hundred List” in 1962, and was profiled by Gloria Steinem for Glamour Magazine.  It was not only her art which attracted attention, but also her persona, which managed to catch the eye of one of the most influential characters of her – and of all – time: Andy Warhol, who would include her in several of his films, referring to Marisol as “the first girl artist with glamour”.

Since the turn of the century, Marisol’s work has gradually reappeared on the stage, demonstrating the waxing and waning of interest for an artist whose work remains solidly singular through the years.  

Source
Source
Source