MY SINGLE LIFE IN NEW YORK 1984-1987

Being alone in New York City and cut off from her cultural roots, Gretta decided to draw her artistic inspiration from her social predicament. She ironically used a method many lonely New Yorkers employ to meet people; she took a short, provocative ad in three local newspapers:

‘NOT YOUR USUAL ADVERTISER – Multilingual, well travelled, successful in the visual arts, sophisticated, sensual, 5,5”, 30’s, very pretty Brazilian SJF seeks a tall, attractive, cultured, successful, economically independent, sensitive, healthy SJM, 35-50, with brains. Bio, full photo and an phone’

There were more than 100 letters of response with not only photos, but xerox copies of bank statements and proposals of marriage. She telephoned a few of the more interesting prospects, made dates, and eventually photographed and videotaped some of them. With this material, she created about thirty large canvases depicting her estranged social interactions. As in her earlier work, each was encased in a delicate lace veil.