The cow-skulled scarecrow has long been an enigmatic figure in art circles, but one story behind its creation sheds new light on the inspiration that drove renowned artist Paula Rego's most striking works. The cow-skulled scarecrow is a life-size doll made from cushions stuffed into old tights, crafted by Rego as a model for her central panel of a triptych to be exhibited at Tate Britain in 2004.
Rego's fascination with the play 'The Pillowman', written by Martin McDonagh, played a pivotal role in her creative journey. The story revolves around two brothers under interrogation for the torture and murder of children, sparking an intense and disturbing dialogue between Rego and McDonagh, who shared stories that had never been published before.
One particular tale captivated Rego - a forest full of babies calling out to the conscience of their mother who had aborted them. This narrative became the cornerstone of her 'McDonagh series', which features drawings and paintings based on the stories McDonagh sent to Rego, who eventually chose four stories to develop into artworks.
Rego's response to these tales was marked by a striking contrast between beauty and brutality, humor and anguish. Her artwork often took the form of triptychs that incorporated elements reminiscent of McDonagh's narrative style, such as a piglet praying for salvation while an empty scarecrow stands watch in one painting.
In another piece, Rego depicted herself lying in bed with her foetus, mirroring McDonagh's original story about the fate of the unborn child. These artworks testify to Rego's deep emotional connection with the stories she was entrusted with and demonstrate a bold exploration of darker themes in her life's work.
Paula Rego draws heavily from personal experience as well - a series of paintings also based on McDonagh's stories, known as 'bonecos', feature puppets created by Rego using everyday materials such as cardboard boxes, paper bags, fabric scraps, and wooden or plastic limbs, which she used to represent various emotions.
In 2016, the artist talked candidly about her long-standing relationship with depression in an interview. She had experienced depression throughout her life and felt the need for 'turtles' - a recurring motif in her artwork that symbolizes mental health issues - to represent the idea that our inner demons can be both burdensome and vital components of who we are.
In summary, Paula Rego's works have long been celebrated for their raw emotion, dark humor and introspection. Her collaboration with Martin McDonagh revealed new depths to her oeuvre, while shedding light on how an artist might find meaning and inspiration in the darkest corners of life itself.
Rego's fascination with the play 'The Pillowman', written by Martin McDonagh, played a pivotal role in her creative journey. The story revolves around two brothers under interrogation for the torture and murder of children, sparking an intense and disturbing dialogue between Rego and McDonagh, who shared stories that had never been published before.
One particular tale captivated Rego - a forest full of babies calling out to the conscience of their mother who had aborted them. This narrative became the cornerstone of her 'McDonagh series', which features drawings and paintings based on the stories McDonagh sent to Rego, who eventually chose four stories to develop into artworks.
Rego's response to these tales was marked by a striking contrast between beauty and brutality, humor and anguish. Her artwork often took the form of triptychs that incorporated elements reminiscent of McDonagh's narrative style, such as a piglet praying for salvation while an empty scarecrow stands watch in one painting.
In another piece, Rego depicted herself lying in bed with her foetus, mirroring McDonagh's original story about the fate of the unborn child. These artworks testify to Rego's deep emotional connection with the stories she was entrusted with and demonstrate a bold exploration of darker themes in her life's work.
Paula Rego draws heavily from personal experience as well - a series of paintings also based on McDonagh's stories, known as 'bonecos', feature puppets created by Rego using everyday materials such as cardboard boxes, paper bags, fabric scraps, and wooden or plastic limbs, which she used to represent various emotions.
In 2016, the artist talked candidly about her long-standing relationship with depression in an interview. She had experienced depression throughout her life and felt the need for 'turtles' - a recurring motif in her artwork that symbolizes mental health issues - to represent the idea that our inner demons can be both burdensome and vital components of who we are.
In summary, Paula Rego's works have long been celebrated for their raw emotion, dark humor and introspection. Her collaboration with Martin McDonagh revealed new depths to her oeuvre, while shedding light on how an artist might find meaning and inspiration in the darkest corners of life itself.
, it's wild how much darkness and beauty she's managed to squeeze into her art over the years... like, who knew cow-skulled scarecrows could be so symbolic? 
And that story about her collaborating with McDonagh on these super intense tales is just mind-blowing. I mean, we all know artists draw from personal experience but it's crazy how she's been dealing with depression for years and still managed to create this amazing work 
. Her 'bonecos' series is especially haunting - like, who needs everyday materials when you've got a creative mind? 
Anyway, just wanted to share my thoughts...
I think it's really interesting that Rego drew so much from McDonagh's stories for her artwork. It's like she was trying to give voice to these darker emotions that we all have inside us, but don't always know how to express. The way she combines beauty and brutality is just masterful 
. I love how the 'bonecos' series uses everyday materials to represent complex emotions - it's like she's saying 'hey, even the smallest things can hold a lot of weight'. And her personal experience with depression really shines through in her work 
. It's like she's giving us permission to acknowledge our own struggles and find a way to cope.
. I love how she uses everyday materials to create these puppets, it's like they're coming alive on the page 
.
i love how she uses everyday materials to create these puppets in her 'bonecos' series too, it's like shes giving voice to these inner demons that we all struggle with and i cant help but think of my own struggles with depression when i see them 
I mean, I can already imagine her triptychs takin' over Tate Britain in 2004... she's got this crazy talent for makin' you feel all the feels 
and that collaboration with martin mcdonagh? 
it's like they're two peas in a pod or something! 
i need to see more of her 'bonecos' series tho... those puppets are sooo intriguing 
anyway, rego's art is just on another level - she's got this crazy emotional range and it's so inspiring 
. like, who knew that a forest full of babies calling out to their mom could be so hauntingly beautiful? 
they were always talking about the darker side of life in their songs. anyway, rego's bonecos are so cool, i love how she uses random materials to create those puppets 
... I mean, it's already disturbing enough without knowing there are actual babies involved in that storyline 
. And to think Rego was inspired by this stuff and went on to create some masterpieces? It just goes to show how dark life can be and how art can come from those very same places 
. All in all, I'm not sure I'd want to see some of Rego's artwork in person – the atmosphere just seems too heavy 
. Still, her artwork is undeniably compelling, and I love how she subverts these dark themes with humor and wit 
.
... I think what really draws me in is that you can tell she's drawing from her own experiences, but also using her imagination to explore the complexities of human emotion. It's like she's saying 'this is who we are, with all our flaws and contradictions' 
we all got our own stuff that we gotta deal with whether its depression or anxiety or whatever else, but i think what's cool is how paula rego took her struggles & turned them into somethin beautiful. it's like she was tryna show us that even in the darkest times, there's still beauty to be found 
it's super dark lol but like rego was drawn to the weirdness of it all and created triptychs that showcased the contrast between beauty & ugliness in life 
Her ability to balance beauty and brutality in her art is just mind-blowing. And can we talk about how raw and honest she is about her own struggles with depression? 
The fact that she's been open about it, even in interviews from 2016, shows just how fearless and vulnerable an artist can be when exploring their own demons 
It's wild how a freaky play like 'The Pillowman' can inspire such intense art. I mean, who wouldn't want to explore the darker side of life through their work? 
And that she uses everyday materials to create these puppets is just genius - it's like she's saying "hey, mental health issues are real, but they're also a part of us". 
...and I mean that in a good way, you know? Like, she takes these dark stories from McDonagh and infuses them with this beauty and humor that just draws you in. And the way she uses everyday materials to create these puppets...it's like, so relatable, you feel? 
Is she trying to say something about the human condition or is it just, like, a weird thing she found? 
. And let's not forget about her collaborations with McDonagh - they're like two creative minds coming together to create something truly special 
. It just goes to show that art can be a powerful tool for processing our emotions and finding inspiration in the darkest corners of life 