Andrea Dezsö: Dreamtime

Dezsö spent her childhood in Transylvania, Romania, which was part of the Communist Bloc. Communist regimes are for shortages of basic necessities and deprivation. Dezsö’s creative mind found self-created outlets of expression. Her focus centered on books. They expanded on subjects that captured her imagination like space travel, entomology and folk tales. She found full freedom by exploring her infinite internal landscape.

Belief systems and ideas are subject to erosion when placed new environs and contexts. As such, she creates her own enclosed environments from which her ideas, thoughts and creations can incubate and thrive. Very subtlety, she investigates societal structures erected to maintain power imbalances.  In this context, Dezsö’s tunnel book, Woman in Red by Power Lines, makes a bold assertion.  The woman, a tiny figure among the transmission towers, frolics barefoot, her hair free and her red dress flying.  Against their phallic, static forms she exudes movement and life, defying the structures that set the boundaries of her world. She interacts with a small swing hung from powerlines above.  Given a moment of pause we may wonder if the freedom of self-expression is worth the risk of personal safety and can only conclude that it is.

Both Hieronymus Bosch and the self-taught Henry Darger are obvious artists to compare to Dezsö. But, there is an element of joy that perhaps speaks more to others in art history. Their stage-like presence allows for an easy connection to early French filmmaker Georges Méliès and his film A Trip to the Moon (1902).  Both Méliès and Dezsö’s work inspire awe and push the boundaries of the fantastic. However, Dezsö’s flights of fancy are clearly self-referential and contain critique of society rather than mere alternatives to it.   

MOCA’s exhibition presents both Dezsö’s small tunnel sculptures and large-scale tunnel installation. The smaller tunnel books begin as two dimensional drawings. Dezsö cuts, stacks and sews the layers together. Each piece is reminiscent of a theater stage and hints at a unique story. The resulting structure stands open like an accordion to create a three dimensional scene.  Tunnel books themselves have a long history that begins as early as the 18th century. They are sometimes called peepshow books.  When we see one, it offers only a small peek into another world. 

It is easy to focus on the figures and not spend time on the backgrounds. But, the glimpse of each world relies on the physical structure or scenery that Dezsö has provided. For example, in Face Hiding Among Ferns, the plants serve to obscure and redefine, changing a simple portrait into a mystery. Why are the faces camouflaged? What happens if they are discovered?  In Gentle Beast Hiding Behind Molten Lava, dark red lava flows surround a large-eyed, soft-furred creature. Many questions spring to mind: Is it trapped or is it in its native habitat, is it lonely or hiding? Better still, if these images are metaphors, who are these quiet creatures that need to hide to be safe?

These questions only continue upon viewing the large-scale installation. The structures suggest a subterranean cave found hidden in the briny depths. New species of sea life wiggle and fan out within a great, yawning mouth. They serve as structure and support for the bizarre characters that frolic within their realm. They invoke a desire to delve in to be part of the fantastic world and an instinctive need to save and protect its fragile beauty.