Fresno Bee (California)
April 18, 2006 Tuesday
FINAL EDITION
Artist’s life was a paradox
by Donald Munro The Fresno Bee
Arshile Gorky wasn’t born with that name. The influential modernist
painter came into this world as Vosdanik Manouk Adoian. That dual
identity always fascinated Nouritza Matossian, a British writer and
actress, whose biography, “Black Angel, The Life of Arshile Gorky”
was published in 2000.
We caught up with Matossian, who is appearing in two events at
California State University, Fresno, that are part of the Arshile
Gorky Festival — which is itself connected to a new exhibition of
the artist’s work at the Fresno Art Museum. She’s giving a lecture
today and a theatrical performance Wednesday.
Question: Gorky came to the United States to escape the Armenian
genocide. Lots of American immigrants changed or shortened their
names. Is there added significance that he took on a whole new name
— and a Russian one, at that?
Answer: His personal story is like a cipher for Armenian history. It
represents a lot of themes that come up for Armenians who survived
the genocide. The whole history of the genocide was completely erased
— by the destruction of churches and houses, but also through the
rewriting of history. What’s meaningful for me is the extent that
Gorky had to hide his past almost from himself. He suffered so much
as a child, losing his mother, losing his home, being involved in the
conflagration around him.
He had a rough life, then?
No artist that I can think of in the 20th century lived the life he
had by the age of 18. It was unbelievable what he went through.
How does a biographer capture the essence of Gorky?
There were two tasks that I had: to understand him and the enigma of
someone who acquires a completely new identity in order to survive;
and to understand how his art comes from the early experiences he
had. I’m really interested in the life of an artist and the way that
work erupts out of that life. I’m interested in people who are exiled
and displaced, and who overcome their displacement by creating a body
of work that represents their country and their lost virtual
homeland.
Yet despite the trauma in his life — the genocide, poverty, cancer,
an auto accident that left him paralyzed, his wife leaving him — his
paintings have an undeniable sense of vitality, of buoyancy.
He was both a very exuberant person and manic-
depressive. Based on what was written about him [before she did her
own research], I was getting the sense of a very dark, somber
personality — but that’s not what the paintings told me. He used to
sing when he painted. I could almost hear music when I saw Gorky’s
paintings for the first time.
You’ve performed your one-woman show worldwide, from London and
off-Broadway to Armenia. Why this format?
I enjoy giving lectures, but I also wanted to do something more
entertaining and dramatic. I play four women in Gorky’s life: his
mother, sister, wife and lover. I base everything on their own
stories. I interviewed his sister in the 1990s before she died, and
she told me stories of her mother and village life. I interviewed his
wife, Agnes Fielding Gorky. I wanted to make the story so it’s as if
Gorky is there, even though he doesn’t appear on stage. It makes the
artist come to life.
The reporter can be reached at dmunro@fresnobee.com or (559)
441-6373.
INFOBOX
If you go
What: Nouritza Matossian lecture and one-woman theatrical performance
When: Lecture 7:30 p.m. today, one-woman show 8 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Satellite Student Union, Fresno State
Tickets: $10, $6 seniors for lecture; free for one-woman show
Details: (559) 278-2078, (559) 243-5880 or
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress