Bestie

Joana Vasconcelos 1971

Summary

Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro acrylic painted faience with an azores crocheted lace covering.

Display Label

Bestie 2014 Joana Vasconcelos born 1971 Faience ceramic and crocheted lace Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos has taken a serious sculpture and subverted it by covering it with crocheted lace. You could see this subversion in feminist terms – she has taken a masculine art form and overlaid it with a craft traditionally seen as feminine. The horse’s head that Vasconcelos has appropriated is by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (1846-1905), one of the most renowned Portuguese artists of the 19th century. His factory still exists and produces ceramics. The crocheted lace is produced by craftspeople in the Azores to traditional designs. Vasconcelos made Bestie specifically for Manchester Art Gallery. The title plays on the word ‘beast’ but also refers to George Best, a Manchester United footballing hero. Purchased with a grant from the V & A purchase fund with generous assistance from Jack Livingstone and Ken Johnson 2015.4