COL49 Remedios Varo

[kelber at mindspring.com]

 Robin's Arrabal to Arrabal link seems right on target, but Hollander's quick dismissal of Varo doesn't hold water.  That she's obscure is precisely the attraction for Pynchon.  If Pynchon wanted to talk about Rapunzel or Varro instead, he would.  Even if a connection can be made to Varro, that doesn't render the Varo connection irrelevant.  In GR, Pynchon gives an overt plug of Ishmael Reed, which it seems is meant to be taken at face value.  

So many of Varo's paintings could be portraits of Oedipa.  Note the envelopes discreetly tucked away in Exploracion de las Fuentes del Rio Orinoco. 

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Robin Landseadel <robinlandseadel at comcast.net>
>Sent: May 5, 2009 2:05 PM
>To: pynchon-l at waste.org
>Subject: Re: COL49 Remedios Varo
>
>http://www.spamula.net/blog/i37/varo10.jpg
>
>http://www.remediosvaro-simones.synthasite.com/resources/RemediosVaro.jpg
>
>http://arteyartistas.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/exploracion_de_las_fuentes_del_rio_orinoco-remedios-varo.jpg
>
>On May 5, 2009, at 10:06 AM, kelber at mindspring.com wrote:
>
>> After looking at Varo's paintings it's easy to think that they  
>> inspired the creation of Oedipa and the entire book. Depending on  
>> when Pynchon first saw the Varo exhibit, Varo may have inspired V as  
>> well.
>
>I agree, there is the surrealism and the triste of CoL49 in her work.
>
>Charles Hollander argues that Remedios Varo points to Varro & Varro  
>points to Menippean Satire:
>
>	Why should Pynchon choose to mention a painting by this
>	particularly obscure painter when there are many other
>	“Rapunzel” paintings that might have served his thematic ends
>	as well?
>
>	The answer is, that in pursuing the strange name, Varo, we are
>	led to a cognate name, one Marcus Terentius Varro  . . .
>
>Much more @
>
>http://www.ottosell.de/pynchon/inferno.htm
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Terentius_Varro
>
>I'd say it's more likely that Jesus Arrabal points to Fernando Arrabal.