Warning For 60

I recently visited with my sister in Phoenix, and came home with this charming lithograph. Phoenix thrift stores are not a source of inexpensive artwork – most items I saw were priced beyond my budget. This one, however, eked in under $20, and I loved the female characters, circus theme, and fun vibe. Additionally, someone spent a good deal of money on the framing, using a gorgeous, purple, raw silk matting and rich gold frame. The piece is titled “Cirque” and is signed Tanya Doskova. It is numbered 22/100 (meaning it is the 22nd print out of 100), and is not dated. While I didn’t originally notice, now the number “60” jumps out.

Doskova was born in Bulgaria in 1960, and resides in Arizona. She is known for her magical surrealism, socio-political satire and modern folk tales. I was not able to locate anything regarding this specific piece; however, I’ve decided it is a tribute to women turning 60. Doskova would have turned 60 in 2020,  as we all hunkered down to struggle through Covid-19, and I turned 60 this past year. The artwork brings to mind a well-known poem by British poet Jenny Joseph, written in 1961, entitled “Warning”. Most folks think it is called “When I am an Old Woman” but not so. The opening line has remained a mantra for older women everywhere:

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.

The poem goes on to describe all the dreadfully inappropriate things she intends to do when she is an old woman (And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves/And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter). I can certainly relate, though I would not survive without butter as I love to bake – likely I would skimp on dinner. Joseph goes on to express how, at her age of 29, she must be responsible:

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

The woman on the right in the lithograph most certainly is wearing a red hat, and while her slinky outfit is not purple, the hat is decorated with a purple flower. She looks out toward the audience, while nonchalantly holding up the leg of her cohort. That performer, who seems half asleep, holds a moon, which casts the “0” shadow on the back wall of the tent. There are touches of purple throughout the work, including the night sky, and the platform with the reclining performer. Oddly, the “6” does not seem to align with anything casting a shadow, so it feels very much an added element.

While the characters are depicted as circus performers, the name “Cirque” is an interesting choice. Searching The Oracle for “cirque” will bring up many Cirque de Soleil sites. However, “cirque” is a French word for “circle”, but specifically a circle formed through the erosion caused by a glacier. “Because glaciers must originate above the snowline, a survey of the elevations of ancient cirques provides information on  climatic change and on the former position of the snow line.” (1) I find it interesting that cirques are exposed as glaciers erode, leaving behind evidence of the earth’s movement. Much like our older bodies show evidence of the years we’ve lived, sometimes to the detriment of current fashions, and our desires. That said, the creases and extra padding I carry exist because I have been blessed with 3 children and 60 years of living. I for one will not moan about my old body– erosion be damned!

In this artwork, Doskova depicts three women performing a Cirque de Soleil style act (though it is a highly unrealistic performance). The women create an internal circle in the work, wrapping around the “60”, with the moon adding to the circular motif. In many cultures, the feminine is depicted as a circular snake, honoring female fertility. The snake, biting its own tale, represents the cycles of the seasons, and the continued renewal of life.  A woman, able to give birth, creates a new generation, continuing the circle of life. The number 60 itself is filled with circles – the “0” being a complete circle, and the “6” looking like a snake beginning to curl in on itself. I am not suggesting “60” means we’re near the end, but realistically, my contribution to the circles of life have been created, and my life has been rich and rewarding. I better start hunting for that red hat.  

(1)         https://www.britannica.com/science/tarn-geology