Patosa (Clumsy Woman)

Patricia Gadea was one of the most incisive voices in Spanish art in the 1980s and 1990s, linked to the Nueva Figuración Madrileña (New Madrid Figuration) movement and critical experimentation with pop art and comics. After her break-up with painter Juan Ugalde in 1993, Gadea’s
painting evolved towards radically revising female archetypes and women’s traditional roles.
In this work, the artist uses pop iconography and comic book language with biting satire to address the representation of modern women who, despite sporting the hair of the monstrous Medusa, remain tied to domestic chores and the world of celebrity magazines. Figures such as Antonio López, a symbol of the male artistic canon, and the dwarves from Snow White embody sexual and ideological stereotypes laden with irony. Gadea contrasts the grotesque with the beautiful, inviting us to question dominant discourses and discover the messages hidden behind everyday symbols.

José Manuel Lara