As I Lay My Head to Rest: The Last Works of Feliciano Centurión

Sophia Greenberg

Advisor: Dr. Ann Reynolds

Abstract

In the Blanton Museum’s Collection are four embroidered pillowcases by Paraguayanborn, Argentinian-residing artist Feliciano Centurión. The four artworks are titled as follows: Luz divina de alma (Divine Light of the Soul), Reposa (Rest), Soledad (Solitude), and Sueña (Dream). These works were created in 1996, and are the last objects made by Centurión before his death at the age of 34 in November of that year. As a queer artist who died from AIDS-related complications, Centurión’s art is inherently viewed through the lens of the queer experience and the AIDS epidemic, no matter the artist’s original intent behind his works. In my thesis, I aim to explore how the materiality and historical context of these artworks alters our understanding of both the artist’s intent and our own interpretations. Textiles are traditionally considered a feminine “domestic” craft and not commonly found in the traditional art historical canon. Although this view is changing, the bias still exists in the scholarly tradition and thus has an influence on how we value these works of art. Hence, I examine these four pillowcases in terms of their gendered nature in relation to the gender and sexual identity of their creator. It should be noted that homophobia often relies on the view that gay men are too “feminine,” relying on the assumption that femininity is a shameful thing for a man to be. I therefore also explore the connection between queer male identities and “feminine” artistic practices. My thesis aims to use the material, formal, and historical elements of the four pillowcases to ascertain information about Centurión’s physical and mental state at the end of his life, to explore the artworks through a gendered lens of analysis, and to discuss the legacies of these artworks as they relate to our understanding of queer identities today.