The Renaissance was a period in European culture where science and the humanities alike flourished, and symbols of this era continue to be referenced in popular culture today. However, while many American and European artists have been recognized for their work continuing the legacy of Renaissance techniques, not many Latin American artists have been spotlighted.
This is what a new art show by the RoFA Art Gallery is trying to rectify. This gallery, located in Maryland, mainly houses contemporary art, with a focus on Latin American artists. They have just opened a new show titled “In the Heart of the Beholder,” the first show in RoFA’s new gallery. While this show is primarily composed of contemporary art, many of the works also feature some neoclassical elements. There are ten artists whose works are displayed in this show.
The Spanish painter Salustiano is one of these artists. He paints figures in a detailed, Renaissance style, which starkly contrasts with the bright, mono-colored background. Additionally, the bright red paint that often makes up the background of his paintings is made from crushed cochineal beetles, a Renaissance technique. Yet this technique is also distinctly Latin American, since these bugs were originally brought to Spain from conquered territories in Central America.
Walterio Iraheta is another one of such artists. In one of his collections, he replaces the figures in classic Renaissance paintings with painted Happy Meal figurines. The painted cartoon characters are jarring against the obvious European background, like the artists couldn’t decide what to draw. These Happy Meal characters symbolize the many stores in El Salvador, Iraheta’s homeland, that sell secondhand U.S. items, and the power imbalance that El Salvador has with the United States.
Some of the artists featured in this exhibition combine Renaissance elements with elements that are from more modern art periods. For example, Fabian Ugalde gives classic European paintings a surrealist twist. He remixes classical paintings so that from far away it looks just like a blurrier version of the painting he took inspiration from, yet on closer look it is actually made of kaleidoscopic parts of the same painting, just pieced together.
Others focus on the Renaissance artists themselves instead. Like the painters of the Renaissance Era, Cecilia Paredes paints self-portraits. However, she is not the focus of her work. She covers her body with floral and other nature-related motifs to blend into the background. Her works portray how an individual is one with and yet separate to the environments.
These artists all take elements from classical European art and make it their own. Through this exhibition, RoFA wishes to show the beauty of Latin American art to the world. The Renaissance was truly a beautiful era in European history, but there is no doubt that Latin American history has equally prosperous and magnificent eras too.
This is what a new art show by the RoFA Art Gallery is trying to rectify. This gallery, located in Maryland, mainly houses contemporary art, with a focus on Latin American artists. They have just opened a new show titled “In the Heart of the Beholder,” the first show in RoFA’s new gallery. While this show is primarily composed of contemporary art, many of the works also feature some neoclassical elements. There are ten artists whose works are displayed in this show.
The Spanish painter Salustiano is one of these artists. He paints figures in a detailed, Renaissance style, which starkly contrasts with the bright, mono-colored background. Additionally, the bright red paint that often makes up the background of his paintings is made from crushed cochineal beetles, a Renaissance technique. Yet this technique is also distinctly Latin American, since these bugs were originally brought to Spain from conquered territories in Central America.
Walterio Iraheta is another one of such artists. In one of his collections, he replaces the figures in classic Renaissance paintings with painted Happy Meal figurines. The painted cartoon characters are jarring against the obvious European background, like the artists couldn’t decide what to draw. These Happy Meal characters symbolize the many stores in El Salvador, Iraheta’s homeland, that sell secondhand U.S. items, and the power imbalance that El Salvador has with the United States.
Some of the artists featured in this exhibition combine Renaissance elements with elements that are from more modern art periods. For example, Fabian Ugalde gives classic European paintings a surrealist twist. He remixes classical paintings so that from far away it looks just like a blurrier version of the painting he took inspiration from, yet on closer look it is actually made of kaleidoscopic parts of the same painting, just pieced together.
Others focus on the Renaissance artists themselves instead. Like the painters of the Renaissance Era, Cecilia Paredes paints self-portraits. However, she is not the focus of her work. She covers her body with floral and other nature-related motifs to blend into the background. Her works portray how an individual is one with and yet separate to the environments.
These artists all take elements from classical European art and make it their own. Through this exhibition, RoFA wishes to show the beauty of Latin American art to the world. The Renaissance was truly a beautiful era in European history, but there is no doubt that Latin American history has equally prosperous and magnificent eras too.
