Heroines III / Heroínas III, 2007
Amalia Caputo
Amalia Caputo (Venezuela, b. 1964). Heroines III / Heroínas III, 2007. C-print. 29 in. x 39in. Gift of the Artist. MOLAA Permanent Collection.
This photograph is from a series of works through which Amalia Caputo explores the way that women are expected to conform to traditional gender roles in order to contribute to the smooth functioning of a male-dominated society. In this image, the subject stands inside a bird cage extending her hand beyond the enclosure in order to set a bird free. Women are traditionally viewed as nurturers who uplift those around them, admired as ‘heroines’ for their quiet work behind the scenes, emotionally sustaining those around them at home and in the workplace. Is the woman comfortable and happy in her role or does she perhaps feel trapped and disappointed? The ambiguity created between the title of the work and the very clear symbol of a cage allows the image to walk the line between ironic and poignant.
About the Artist
Amalia Caputo is a photo and video-based artist, independent curator and art writer whose work focuses on memory, the archive, feminine identity and the study of photography itself. She holds a BA in Art History from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and an MFA in Studio Art and Photography from New York University and the International Center of Photography.
Recent exhibitions include: Amalia Caputo, Senescere, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo del Zulia (MACZUL),upcoming Fall 2019; RCS 51-76 (Rocking Chair Sessions), curated by BaBa Collective, The Annex/Spinello Gallery, Miami (2019), Boss Lady, when female artists run the show, curated by Sarah Michelle Rupert and Michelle Weinberg, Girls Club Collection, Ft. Lauderdale (2019), Amalia Caputo & Pepe López, curated by Cecilia Fajardo-Hill, In Focus, Cha.Co, Santiago (2018);Still Lives, Amalia Caputo, Bernadette Despujols, Tamara Despujols, Hayward Gallery, Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami (2018); Femmes et révoltes dans la création contemporaine du Venezuela, curated by Rolando J. Carmona, Théâtre municipal Berthelot, Montreuil (2018); Caracas Reset / Cracking Videoart, curated by Erika Ordosgoittia, Theâtre La Colonie, Paris (2018); Cuerpo, Medio, Poder, Video arte y performance, curated by Erika Ordosgoittia and Rolando J Carmona, Cinemateca Distrital de Bogotá (2018); Rèsistance, ToBe Gallery, Budapest, Hungary (2017); Pink Noise: Flexing the Frequency, curated by Sarah Michelle Rupert, Girls Club Collection, Fort Lauderdale (2016); Self Portrait: Ve, curated by Rolando Carmona, Third Space Gallery, Helsinki, Finland (2016).