Tamires Para

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Tamires Para, “Go Your Own Way,” 2020

digital collage print, 11” x 14” (courtesy of the artist)

As a visual arts writer, I’ve had the privilege of viewing many shows in Alberta. Yet Brazilian-born artist Tamires Para’s digital prints and paintings stand out as uniquely moving and memorable. 

Para’s exploration of men’s groups, including Incels (Involuntary Celibates) and MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way), is a startling topic for a feminist artist who usually addresses the scars borne by women in patriarchal societies. 

Even more surprising is her lack of judgment or contempt. She shows compassion for these men.

But empathy doesn’t blind Para, now based in Edmonton, to the violence sometimes perpetrated by members of such fringe groups – her interest was initially spurred by the killing of 10 pedestrians in a 2018 Toronto van attack. The crime, yet to come to trial, was reportedly inspired by the Incel online forum.

Para spent her recent residency at Harcourt House, an artist-run centre in Edmonton, anonymously perusing the so-called dark web, where men’s online sites proliferated after they were banned elsewhere. 

Her research – carefully catalogued postings, textual analysis and conversations with former Incels – culminated in Corpo Bruto, on view until Nov. 28. In Portuguese, Para's first language, bruto means “to be turned rough, to be made violent.”

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Tamires Para, “Black Pill,” 2020

digital collage print, 11” x 14” (courtesy of the artist)

What Para exposes is less aggression than pathos. Lonely, insecure and desperate men, obsessed with appearance and unable to form physical relationships with women, find solace in sharing their plight. 

Para’s observations echo recent studies. According to the Organization for the Prevention of Violence, an Alberta non-governmental organization that researches hate-motivated violence, young men in the Incel movement experience anxiety and emotional distress that puts them at risk for self-harm. Most are not violent toward others.

To transpose her research into visual form, Para began by collaging digital prints. For example, in Black Pill, men twist and writhe in a scene reminiscent of a wrestling match, an erotic binge or a mass grave. The title, referring to the practice of tagging online posts by topic, offers the best clue: a black pill can denote messages about suicide, with some posts actively encouraging or even goading members to commit the act.

While the digital prints tackle powerful emotions, they remain mechanical and distant. That’s not true of the paintings derived from the prints: they are imbued with intimacy.

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Tamires Para, “M.G.T.O.W.,” 2020

oil on canvas, 11” x 14” (courtesy of the artist)

For example, M.G.T.O.W. is infused with skin tones in what seems like candlelight. The men are no longer homogenous. One haunting, hollow-eyed face stands out, a shard of individuality amidst a sea of unwavering and unattainable male stereotypes. 

Perhaps what makes these works so effective is their countercultural quality. Careful craftsmanship juxtaposed with raw emotion is more reminiscent of Goya’s Black Paintings than contemporary art. More importantly, at a time when hate is on the rise and societies are increasingly polarized, Para has refused to shut down, seeking understanding not enmity, even though some of what she witnessed was profoundly disturbing.

Her caring tone is palpable as she speaks about the plight of men who take extreme measures, even undergoing surgery to change their bodies. 

“They are so desperate to find acceptance and to not be lonely that they are willing to do anything, to radicalize themselves to the point where they become more ostracized,” she says. “ I find that really sad.” ■ 

Tamires Para: Corpo Bruto at Harcourt House in Edmonton from Oct. 16 to Nov. 28, 2020.

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