Marta María Pérez Bravo
¡Ay, Santa Clara, por tu madre!

¡Ay, Santa Clara, por tu madre!
¡Ay, Santa Clara, por tu madre!
¡Ay, Santa Clara, por tu madre!
CultureCuban
Titles
  • ¡Ay, Santa Clara, por tu madre!
Date1996
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage/Sheet: 19 7/8 × 15 7/8 in. (50.5 × 40.3 cm)

Credit LineGift of Joan Morgenstern in honor of Gay Block
Object number2003.909
Non exposé

Explore Further

Department
Photography
Object Type
Description

In ¡Ay, Santa Clara, pour tu madre!, Marta
María Pérez Bravo makes a kind of house with her body, and by doing so offers a
plea to Saint Clare for both help with problems in her home and help obtaining
a house. This photograph is part of a series that Pérez Bravo began in 1983
about popular Cuban superstitions. By combining physical performance with
self-made props and text, in this case the title of the photograph, Pérez Bravo’s
photographs become theatrical explorations of the spiritual aspects of
Afrocubano ritual, history and myth.




The photographs in the series contained significant
allusions to religion, superstitions, and popular beliefs which were considered
taboo amidst the Cuban social doctrines of the time, though commonly practiced.
One of these common Cuban practices would be offering a little wooden house as
a plea to the Catholic Saint Clare for help with problems that might occur in a
household.



ProvenanceJoan Morgenstern, Houston; given to MFAH, 2003.
Exhibition History"Ruptures and Continuities: Photography Made after 1960 from the MFAH Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Brown Foundation Galleries, February 21 - May 9, 2010.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
in pencil on verso lower left: " i AY, SANTA CLARA, POR TU MADRE !" 1996 / 9/15 ; top left corner: 1848
in pencil on verso lower right MM Perez

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

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