Jay Defeo “The Rose” circa 1958-1966

"['The Rose'] passed through several stages, each one of them valid. There was a kind of archaic version at six months; then followed a very developed geometric version which gradually transformed itself into a much more organic expression. Curiously, this stage got thoroughly out of hand at one point baroque), and I managed to pull it all the way back to the final 'classic' 'Rose.' I suspect that even if I had had the space to spread out these ideas on separate canvases, the work would have proceeded on a single format alone, in as much as I felt the painting had to experience its own life-span in time."
-Defeo

“The Rose” is a masterpiece of extreme proportions. Jay Defeo describes the process of the 8 years it took for her to create this as physically and mentally draining. It took three years for her to pick up art again. She didn’t paint for decades after The Rose was finished. Hanging in the Whitney Museum in New York City as a part of their permanent collection, she was asked to send this piece over before it was fully finished so she could be honored for her work in the art world, and she declined because her work was not finished. This is why her work is more famous than her. She didn’t care what people thought about her art, she didn’t like being famous for her work, she stopped creating anything for 3 years. That’s saying something. This is the reason for her only being known for this piece. If you are truly an admirer of her work, then you would know about many other great pieces she has created, but this is the masterpiece.
The Rose is a painting/sculpture that weighs over a ton. Exactly 2,300 pounds and double the height of its artist, it is a massive piece titled, “The Rose.” The title is important because it is a very feminine ideal attached to a very massive large and heavy work of art. A woman creating a piece this large was such a huge undertaking; and 8 years of it to boot. The impact of this piece on the art world is incredible. It shows the passion of art that artists have. It demonstrates that if you love something so much and you have the drive to do it then you can. It transcends from the art world, and into the real world. I as a regular person can look at this painting and think that anything is possible. The drive to make it, makes me have the drive myself.