María Gainza's 'Optic Nerve' and the Art of Indirect Autobiography
Rita Selvaggio provides a critical examination of María Gainza's 'Optic Nerve' in her essay featured in the 'Figure della scrittura' series. Originally titled 'Il nervo ottico' and translated into Italian by Marco Amerighi for Neri Pozza in 2017, Gainza's work is characterized as an 'indirect autobiography' that explores self-identity through artistic encounters. Born in Buenos Aires in 1975, Gainza is both a writer and art critic, with her work appearing in publications like The New York Times. Her prominent titles include 'Textos elegidos' (2011), 'Optic Nerve' (2014), and 'Portrait of an Unknown Lady' (2018). Significant artworks analyzed include Rothko's 'Black on Maroon' (1959) and Courbet's 'La Mer orageuse' (1870). The English version was released by Catapult in 2019.
Key facts
- María Gainza was born in Buenos Aires in 1975 and is a writer and art critic.
- Her book 'Optic Nerve' was originally published in 2014 and translated into Italian by Marco Amerighi for Neri Pozza in 2017.
- The English translation by Thomas Bunstead was published by Catapult in 2019.
- Gainza received the Konex Award for Visual Arts in 2017.
- 'Portrait of an Unknown Lady' won the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize for Literature in 2019.
- The essay is part of the 'Figure della scrittura' series curated by Rita Selvaggio.
- Artists discussed in the book include Courbet, Rothko, Toulouse-Lautrec, El Greco, Foujita, Cándido López, and Augusto Schiavoni.
- Key artworks referenced include Rothko's 'Black on Maroon' (1959, Tate), Courbet's 'La Mer orageuse (La Vague)' (1870, Musée d'Orsay), and Cándido López's 'Después de la batalla de Curupaytí' (1893, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires).
Entities
Artists
- María Gainza
- Rita Selvaggio
- Gustave Courbet
- Mark Rothko
- Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
- El Greco
- Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita
- Cándido López
- Augusto Schiavoni
- Marco Amerighi
- Thomas Bunstead
- Misia Natanson
Institutions
- Neri Pozza
- Catapult
- The New York Times
- ARTnews
- Artforum
- Radar
- Página/12
- Tate
- Musée d'Orsay
- Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Kunstmuseum Bern
- Konex Award
- Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize
Locations
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
- Curupaytí
- Paraguay
- Toledo
- Spain
- Bern
- Switzerland
- Paris
- France