In “Por América (José Martí)” (For America (José Martí)) ((1986) the sophisticated writer and intellectual is depicted barefoot, filled with darts in reference to the death of St. Other works, like Juan Francisco Elso’s image of Cuban national hero and poet José Martí, who died in Cuba’s war of independence with Spain in 1895, reflect the complex influences that have contributed to Cuban identities. It’s a regular worker, a fisherman, who is set in a sort of shrine.” “Martinez was mixing together the hero Che Guevara with normal people. In “Sin título,” (1969–70), the image of Che Guevara blends into a crowd of farmers and revolutionaries. “In his pieces, you can appreciate that while he represents the main leaders in Cuba, these leaders are shown with anonymous people in Cuba, in order to be a public image of Cuba, and the reality of Cuba.”įor Mosquera, Martinez exemplifies the way artists built narratives around the cult that helped to construct a revolutionary nation. Martinez “represents art in a very Cuban way,” Vega said. Colorful, flat portraits of crowds by Raúl Martínez, not only glamorize revolutionary heroes, but put workers, revolutionaries, and townspeople at the center. For example, photographic works capture the revolution using a photojournalistic style while acknowledging the nature of the one-sided propaganda. The show explores how Cuba’s utopian vision was constructed and later de-constructed by Cuban artists. Gallery view of Adiós Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art Since 1950 at the Walker Art Center Mosquera in particular was eloquent in making the case that while often Cuban art has been used as a way to explain history, “We wanted to reverse this approach and to focus on the art.” At a press event held when the show opened, both Vega and Mosquera spoke passionately about the important impact of Cuban artists have had on the international art world. The exhibition, put together by Cuban-based curators Gerardo Mosquera, René Francisco Rodriguez, and Elsa Vega, with advisors Olga Viso, from the Walker, and Mari Carmen Ramirez, from the International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA), reflects history while making sure the history doesn’t steal the show from the art. Arranged thematically, the exhibition demonstrates ways Cuban artists have responded to their social context, all while revealing a dialogue with art happening around the world. MINNEAPOLIS - Adiós Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art Since 1950, now on view at the Walker Art Center, uses Cuba’s political and social realities as curatorial lenses, but it’s not an encyclopedic show. Juan Francisco Elso, “Por América (José Martí)” (1986) in the exhibition Adiós Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art Since 1950 at the Walker Art Center (all photos by the author for Hyperallergic)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |