Since the beginning of the twentieth century many artists, to increase an audience, have resorted to the shock effect and provocation for their own sake, so as to interest more people who, surprised or scandalized, tend to form an opinion. In recent decades we have seen all sorts of things: embraces, mutilated bodies, portraits of criminals, crucified frogs, exhibitions of corpses. We are so used to the grand-guignolesco effect that nothing disturbs us that much.
This time, however, the provocation comes from an emerging artist, at least in contemporary art. Desirèe Prada , cousin of the well-known stylist and world brand, known for having introduced the decorated casts of pregnant mothers’ bellies into the art world, shocks the web by posting photos of transgressive and visually provocative works on her official page. Are they committed works, which offer profound reflections, or are they advertising stunts beyond the limits of impudence? The web is divided in two: there are those who adore them and manage to grasp the true meaning and those who attack the artist considering her too brazen and far from the image of a mother of two children.
Heavy accusations based on commonplaces, now obsolete, where the image of a mother should not be compromised by touching on issues still considered unsuitable for a mother of a family. Desirèe, despite having the hair on the stomach, reacts to the accusations – The real obscenity lies in the ignorance (or envy) of those who stop to judge the surface of everything, giving importance to the appearance without wondering what the intrinsic concept is it is true. The freedom to express oneself is never trivial, the result can be, but not in my case, because I am not trivial. –
Indeed, Prada’s art is totally free from banality and his Red & White project offers completely new works visually, apparently simple because they are direct and which clearly hide the experience, memories and sufferings of this great artist. – It is rather trivial not to ask oneself the reason for what one observes – reiterates Desirèe – something that everyone should do with the same childish curiosity because only in this way can you see beyond, it worries me – he continues – plus, those who do not express themselves in an opinion , rather than receiving negative reviews which I would appreciate anyway. –
After all, an artist, mother or not, is such only if she has the courage to live her life and her creative drive with intelligence and sensitivity, managing to transmit emotions and concepts that arise from her own experience and, why not, from the family. , from children or simply from one’s soul. If this were not the case then we should cancel the great international artists of the past who changed the history of art: From Artemisia Gentileschi to Berthe Morisot from Tamara De Lempika to Rebecca Horn and again Gina Pane and the great Frida Kahlo, a great example of strength and creativity, which has transferred the personal tragedies of his people to the canvas, persevering and fighting against everything and everyone.
Today Desirèe has finally managed to express herself to the point that her experience and her private memories materialize in works of art imbued with profound, universal values, certainly with a feminine ‘imprint’ but the fact of being a mother is only a gift, a added value, not a limit.