RoFA Projects’ new gallery, “In the Heart of the Beholder,” showcases the work of ten artists from all over the Latin American world. Some of the paintings are neoclassical twists on famous classical pieces from the Renaissance.
Walterio Iraheta’s updated version of ““The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” by the famous Dutch artist Rembrandt features McDonald’s Happy Meals dotted throughout. The icons, painted in a single color or photographed, are based on models from stores in El Salvador, Mr. Iraheta’s homeland, which sell secondhand American goods.
Mexican artist Fabian Ugalde computerizes Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring,” so that it is recognizable from a distance. But upon closer inspection, one can see that the blurry features of the girl are actually “multiple identical images grouped together in clumps.”
Cecilia Paredes’s self-portraits highlight the importance of living in harmony with, but still remaining separate from, the environment. Paredes, who spends her time between Philadelphia and her homeland Peru, covers her entire body with natural motifs such as butterflies, flowers, and sea animals, almost vanishing entirely into the background. Especially in the present, with climate change threatening the future of our planet, her portraits have a much deeper meaning.
The more traditional Spanish artist Salustiano paints realistic renderings of heads and shoulders contained within a monochromatic circle. The artist gets his red pigments from crushed cochineal beetles, a throwback to the times of the Renaissance and European colonialism, when the insects were imported from Central America, then under Spanish hegemony, to Spain.
Not everything in the gallery is based off traditional works, however. The gallery also showcases pieces by the likes of artists like Colombian street artist Erre. Her inspiration comes from things like “punk rock, skateboarding and protest.” Her work often contains images of strong women with slogans like “Sin miedo” or “Vivas libres,” which in Spanish mean ‘fearless’ and ‘live free,’ respectively.
Original Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/07/29/art-gallery-shows-dc-area/
Walterio Iraheta’s updated version of ““The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” by the famous Dutch artist Rembrandt features McDonald’s Happy Meals dotted throughout. The icons, painted in a single color or photographed, are based on models from stores in El Salvador, Mr. Iraheta’s homeland, which sell secondhand American goods.
Mexican artist Fabian Ugalde computerizes Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring,” so that it is recognizable from a distance. But upon closer inspection, one can see that the blurry features of the girl are actually “multiple identical images grouped together in clumps.”
Cecilia Paredes’s self-portraits highlight the importance of living in harmony with, but still remaining separate from, the environment. Paredes, who spends her time between Philadelphia and her homeland Peru, covers her entire body with natural motifs such as butterflies, flowers, and sea animals, almost vanishing entirely into the background. Especially in the present, with climate change threatening the future of our planet, her portraits have a much deeper meaning.
The more traditional Spanish artist Salustiano paints realistic renderings of heads and shoulders contained within a monochromatic circle. The artist gets his red pigments from crushed cochineal beetles, a throwback to the times of the Renaissance and European colonialism, when the insects were imported from Central America, then under Spanish hegemony, to Spain.
Not everything in the gallery is based off traditional works, however. The gallery also showcases pieces by the likes of artists like Colombian street artist Erre. Her inspiration comes from things like “punk rock, skateboarding and protest.” Her work often contains images of strong women with slogans like “Sin miedo” or “Vivas libres,” which in Spanish mean ‘fearless’ and ‘live free,’ respectively.
Original Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/07/29/art-gallery-shows-dc-area/
