Remembering | Reminiscing is an exhibition of works which celebrates the work of artists and creative partners Lewis Wirth (1923-2010) and Helen Cavarra (1926-1978). Having met at the Malta Government School of Art in 1948, the two were brought together by their mutual passion for the arts - an apt beginning which was to form a crucial part of their relationship.
The two artists share a style which is innately naturalistic and realistic, whilst also possessing a quality which breathes an air of romanticism. Essentially, this exhibition aims to encapsulate the powerful aura generated by the creative partnership of the two.
Nostalgia lays at the very core of the exhibition. The feeling of nostalgia emanates an aura of longing and belonging, which T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) accurately describes as ‘mixing memory and desire’. For these reasons, one may ground the style of Wirth and Cavarra as being reminiscent of the romanticism in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Their works recall the meditative tranquility, peaceful aura and element of nostalgia which dominates the works of British artist John Constable (1776-1837), among several other British artists during this time period.
In the case of Constable, the countryside became an idealised vision which sharply contrasted with modern urban life. His Haywain (1821) evokes a quintessentially British rural scene which is deeply rooted in an air of nostalgia, and the desire of a simpler life during the emergence of industrialization. One may argue that the works of Wirth and Cavarra play upon similar principles of poetic sentimentality. Although their work was produced more than a century later than Constable’s, time seems to have stood still in their romanticised landscapes.
During their time as students at the Malta Government School of Art, they were taught under the tutorship of Emvin Cremona (1919-1987). However, Wirth and Cavarra also undeniably convey an influence of Edward Caruana Dingli (1876-1950). Caruana Dingli offered a language of Costumbrista realism, which essentially rejected realism in favour of idealism. Different to nostalgia however, Caruana Dingli’s language was not utilized for the aim of remembrance, but for the act of forgetting, as seen in his Chicken Hawker (1910) for instance. In the publication by Joseph Paul Cassar, entitled ‘The Life and Work of Lewis Wirth and Helen Cavarra – their creative partnership’ (2014), Cassar notes that from 1951-1969, Wirth and Cavarra resided in Tripoli, Libya, which thus created a distance between their artistic production and their homeland. They left the island still under the influence of Caruana Dingli, and thus were absent during the rise of modernism in Malta in the 1950s and 60s. Upon their return to Malta in 1969, Wirth welcomed a newfound appreciation for Maltese scenery and landscapes. As a result, they did not belong to any modern art groups which emerged during the time, such as Atelier 56 for instance. The reason for the foundation of such groups was mainly to generate a collective hub for artistic expression amongst like-minded individuals. However, Wirth and Cavarra found creative satisfaction in their partnership with one another.
Therefore, this raises the question if Wirth and Cavarra’s works were produced in the romanticised spirit of nostalgia, or in Caruana Dingli’s Costumbrista act of forgetting the present. Though arguable, what may veer Wirth and Cavarra onto the more nostalgic approach may very well be the introspective search of authentic emotion which is generated from the artworks – a point of view, which was generated by the Romantics, and was not far off from Wirth and Cavarra’s own. Through sheer emotive expression, which is visible in their portraits, together with the mutual love for nature between the two artists which is depicted in their landscapes, Wirth and Cavarra likewise evoke a journey of introspective exploration which results in such emotions transposing from their artwork onto the viewer.
As a result, the artworks, together with the homely atmosphere generated within Società Dante Alighieri, which is where the exhibition is held, truly aims to tug at the heartstrings of the viewer, in order to evoke the aura of nostalgia. Within the multiple rooms offered by the Società Dante Alighieri, this exhibition is curated in such a way that allows for a true reminiscence of their artworks, which range from a variety of portraits and nude figures, to the landscapes of Libya which he painted when he resided there, as well as Maltese scenery which he engaged with upon his return from Tripoli, Libya. Moreover, a section of this exhibition is also dedicated to a period of experimentation with different artistic styles, such as collage.
For these reasons, this exhibition is by no means a retrospective exhibition. Essentially, it merely only touches upon the vast oeuvres of both artists. Instead, this exhibition allows the viewer to reminisce upon the different types of subject matter tackled by the two artists throughout their life. By reminiscing upon their different subject matter, one is allowed to reflect, or rather, remember, their artistic flair and thirst for creativity which propelled the couple to produce an incredible oeuvre of work; of which only a fraction of it is to be displayed in this exhibition.
Remembering | Reminiscing is an exhibition of works which celebrates the work of artists and creative partners Lewis Wirth (1923-2010) and Helen Cavarra (1926-1978). This exhibition is curated by Hannah Dowling and will run exclusively from the 16th-18th April 2022 at Società Dante Alighieri – Comitato di Malta, Old Bakery Street, Valletta. After these dates, the exhibition will continue to run online. More information may be found on Facebook.
Article written by Hannah Dowling