Hacettepe Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi (Jun 2020)
Color, Chaos and Matisse: The Cleaning Lady's 'Work of Art' in A.S. Byatt's Art Work
Abstract
British writer A.S. Byatt is known for her fictions foregrounding descriptions of art and artists. Published in 1993, The Matisse Stories, a collection of three stories, is a good example of her fascination with art as each narrative is inspired by a painting of French artist Henri Matisse. Of the three, “Art Work” thematizes art and color as reminiscent of Matisse and Byatt creates her story through a tension between Robin, the father, and Mrs. Brown, the cleaning lady of the house who are both Matisse-inspired artists in different approaches. Robin embraces a rigid color theory based on harmony and pureness and he is completely obsessed with his works ignoring his wife, Debbie’s personal sacrifices. Unlike Robin, Mrs. Brown represents a more colorful, creational and even experimental practices derived from her ethnic origins as well as abilities of knitting and collaging unusual materials. Besides her own creativity and free spirit, Mrs. Brown gets the material and ideas from the household like pieces of fabric or the vacuum cleaner but recycles and transforms them in such a flamboyant and innovative way that it gains a showing in a gallery and her exhibit becomes an overnight success. Her colorful, chaotic and collage work of art does not just serve as an embodiment of Matisse’s art but she also finds an artistic medium of expression to transplant her emotions as a servant or woman as her personal endeavor and talent turn into a secret work of art addressing certain inequalities of gender, class and race.
Keywords
