María Carmen Portela: Art, Politics, New Women, And Social Commitment

GLUZMAN, GEORGINA

AWARE Magazine

Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2020 vol. 5

2077-3323

The life of the sculptor and engraver María Carmen Portela (1896-1984) could have followed a course defined by the social mores and the economic position of her family in the thriving city of Buenos Aires. Born into a well-to-do family, she married still a teenager and had three children. But Portela?s life took a political, emotional and artistic turn following the divorce from her husband. In the 1930s Portela abandoned the security of the usual feminine roles and began a relationship with Rodolfo Aráoz Alfaro (1901-1968), a lawyer linked to the left-wing movement. This sense of freedom opened the doors to a world of creation and thought. In 1930 she presented her works in the Salón Nacional (National Hall) for the first time. In 1935 a key break in Portela?s career and in the visibility of the women sculptors in the National Hall took place: her Figura para un estanque won the Second National Sculpture Prize. The major distinctions of this show had almost always been in the hands of men, but Portela entered the space of the artists consecrated in the realm of sculpture. In the 1940s she opened new professional and affective roads. Her relationship with Jesualdo Sosa, a celebrated Uruguayan pedagogue, led her to deepen her ties with Uruguay, where she was well received. Her career in Uruguay was long and successful: in 1965 she received the National Grand Prize in engraving. Her political commitment became more powerful from the 1960s. The artist traveled and exhibited in countries such as the former German Democratic Republic, Romania, China and Cuba. Between 1961 and 1962 she lived in Cuba with Jesualdo (who participated in the massive literacy campaign after the Revolution) and she portrayed Fidel Castro several times. This article explores the career of María Carmen Portela, which spans more than five decades of work, social commitment, and redefinition of women?s roles. The recent rediscovery of María Carmen Portela?s personal papers allows me to undertake a profound analysis based upon never before seen archival sources. I will examine her aesthetic choices, her critical reception, and her impact in several Latin American art scenes.