COL49 Remedios Varo

[Joseph Tracy]

I agree also that this is a stretch and that the Remedios connection  
is not irrelevant.  The Mennipean satire does , however seem an  
excellent formal model.  But in Pynchon land almost everything comes  
in pairs and often there are genetic offspring.
On May 5, 2009, at 2:33 PM, kelber at mindspring.com wrote:

>  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.
>