Pedone’s Tribute To Yerma

By Sophie Coleman / December 13th, 2011 in Art / Italy / 248 views

Here’s a chance to brush up on a bit of Spanish and the work of the revered Federico Garcia Lorca—considered the most important Spanish dramatist and poet of the twentieth century—with this tribute to his classic work, Yerma, by contemporary Italian artist Tommaso Pedone. Written and first produced in 1934, Lorca’s Yerma (which means “barren” in Spanish) is a play about a woman called Yerma, whose sole desire is to have children yet for some unknown reason is unable to. This growing obsession and societal pressure eventually leads her to murder her husband, Juan.

Well known for his commentary on Spanish social conventions (Garcia was murdered by an anti-communist death squad during the Spanish Civil War), this play caused controversy when released for its critique on the societal duties and expectations of women to bear children at the time, as well as to be the loyal wife to a husband they haven’t chosen.

In this interpretation, Pedone has drawn on influences of the Butoh theatre—a Japanese performance style known for its slow, hyper controlled motion, highly theatrical movements and the concept of the body being moved from an internal or external source—to convey the anguish and despair of Yerma’s character, played by Belgian Butoh performer Lies Serdon. Through slow-moving dance and a series of salutes to some kind of mythical force that’s seemingly present throughout, Serdon reflects Yerma’s poignant musings on her longing to have a baby. It’s also a strange diversion from the original as Yerma is shown to be clearly pregnant yet we know she can’t have children, adding to the expectation and foreboding that something nasty is going to happen—cue the red body paint.

Pedone uses cinematography to skillfully showcase the inner workings and delusions of Yerma’s mind—distorting, blurring, and even creating double vision of Yerma in various scenes. Yerma’s distant relationship with her husband Juan and their disagreement over having kids (Juan never wanted any) is also illustrated through fusing together images of them against different backgrounds, with Juan shown in a red, ominous light compared to the white, pure backdrops we see Yerma in—no doubt symbolic of Pedone’s self-described metaphor for a woman as the “all-powerful mother” of humandkind.

At 29 minutes in length and with some serious (and slightly eery) subject matter, it’s not one for the impatient or faint-hearted, but certainly powerful and worth a watch to expand those ole art horizons of yours.

Pedone’s other work, which also includes some impressive jewelry, design structures and photography can be seen here.