The great exhibition of works by the German-born Venezuelan artist, Gego (Gertrud Goldschmidt, 1912–1994) at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo in Caracas in 1977 was covered by the national press in articles that went beyond reports of the throngs of people and well-known figures that flocked to the museum. It was also covered by humorous publications, a well-established genre that is highly esteemed by Venezuelans. An excellent example is the brief poem “¡Qué varilla… Gego!” [What a Problem/Drag, Gego], published by “Hisopo” [Swab], aka Jesús Rosas Marcano (1930–2001), one of the most popular and talented humorists, journalists, and singer-songwriters of that genre in Venezuela.
In its simple grace, the short poem by “Hisopo” reveals a clear understanding of the fundamental elements and concepts of Gego’s work and her materials, referred to as wire and rods. The poet indulges in a little word play in the opening line with “¡qué varilla!”—an old Venezuelan expression meaning, “what a problem!” or something like that. The equivalent expression in contemporary jargon might be “¡qué vaina!” [What a Drag].
The poet finds precision and liveliness in Gego’s work, and acknowledges her prodigious manual labor; he mentions space and void, and describes the nets and mesh and the relationship between net and music. The poem also includes references to nature with its “breath of vegetation.” “Hisopo’s” humorous handling of the end of the poem echoes Rosas Marcano’s role as an educator, having made a valuable contribution as an editor of children’s magazines and supplements. The final verse expresses the idea of freedom and enjoyment in its description of Gego’s environment as a mesh-filled space that children can enjoy: a “magic fence/enclosure” imbued with all the symbolism that this simple image possesses.
