Abstract
Marisol Escobar, known in the 1960s as the "Latin Garbo," is a sculptor famous for showing with the Pop art greats. However, Marisol holds a curious position in art history, stranded between the formalism of the fifties' and sixties' male-dominated Pop movement and the conceptual experimentation and radicalism that followed. Trained as a draftsman and painter early in her career, Marisol's main body of work mostly consists of large-scale wooden and mixed-medium sculpture. Lesser known, her lithographs, drawings, collages and small figurines further prove her technical and artistic validity. Preferring to go by surname only, Marisol’s quiet yet intense observation pinpoints the overriding human elements present in the objects of her scrutiny. Most notable for turning her gaze inwards, her self-portraiture defies easy categorization. Meshing American art and non-Western art styles while bridging the gap between intellectual understanding and empathetic approachability, Marisol represents a unique perspective that remains relevant today. Marisol's approach to self-portraiture is, first and foremost, in service to the exploration of her own identity. Furthermore, her choice of subject matter, artistic methodology and style appear closely aligned with Postmodern discourse. Each period of her work from the 1950s to the present day includes different guises and methods that subtly critique societal roles and norms, all presented through the lens of the artist's acute wit. Internationalism, gender roles, and explorations of identity are inherent in each of her works, proving that Marisol deserves further examination to explore her relation to Postmodern thought.
Notes
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Thesis Completion
2013
Semester
Fall
Advisor
Mendoza, Ilenia Colon
Degree
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
College
College of Arts and Humanities
Degree Program
Visual Arts and Design
Subjects
Arts and Humanities -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Humanities
Format
Identifier
CFH0004535
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus-only Access
3 years
Document Type
Honors in the Major Thesis
Recommended Citation
Williams, Emily, "Threads of Identity: Marisol's Exploration of Self" (2013). HIM 1990-2015. 1795.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses1990-2015/1795