With
a thousand-mile coastline of fishing villages, beach, island and coral atolls,
Venezuela is a country of striking natural beauty as well as dramatic
contrasts. There are the snowcapped
peaks of the Andes in the west and in the south are the steamy Amazon
jungles. South America’s largest lake,
Lake Maracaibo can be found there as well as the third-longest river, the
Orinoco, and the world’s highest waterfall, the Angel Falls. Since the 1940’s, Venezuela is also home to
the western hemisphere’s largest conventional proven oil reserves.
Caracas,
Venezuela’s capital is a bustling metropolis of nearly 5 million
inhabitants. Fast, progressive and
cosmopolitan, the city has kept little of its colonial character and boasts
some of the most impressive modern architecture in South America.
In
the 19th century art in Venezuela was greatly influenced by European
Art movements. So much so that many of
Venezuela’s prominent painters studied in France. One of the country’s most noted artist in Venezuela around this
time was Armando Reveron
(1889-1954). Reveron is considered
Venezuela’s pioneer of modern artwork, transcending the late Impressionist
style of the times and opting for a minimal palette, painting almost
exclusively with the color white.
With
the discovery of oil at the end of the 1940’s, big changes came for the country
as well as the Venezuelan society. As
the booming oil industry accelerated the process of modernization, the rural
country changed vehemently and cities grew fast. Young artists were eager to participate in the flow of the time
and with them came the revolution of the arts.
Two groups started to emerge out of the conflicts with the “old”
traditional art school: The association
“Taller Libre de Arte” and the group
“Los Disidentes” who lived in
France.
Both
groups were dedicated to experimenting with new artistic forms. “Los Disidentes” introduced geometric
abstraction to Venezuela’s art world and was imperative for the development of
kinetic art, which evolved out of geometric abstraction.
Alejandro Otero (1889-1954), Jesus Soto (1923 - ) and Carlos Cruz-Diez
(1923 - ) were crucial figures for the kinetic art movement and became
internationally recognized. They carried out original experiments in geometric
abstraction and kinetic art, which brought them fame in the art field in
Venezuela. Jesus Soto became
Venezuela’s most significant kinetic artist.
The kinetic movement was an art movement officially recognized and
financially supported by the Venezuelan democratic governments of the 1960’s
and 70’s, as it captured the exhilarating climate of modernization in
Venezuela. This challenged other art
styles from getting fair recognition concurrently.
Yet,
in response to the political and social changes shaking the fragile democracy,
artists were looking for a different, more open and liberating language. Artists were experimenting with many
different styles. A re-evaluation of
Venezuela’s culture was pondered by some, and certain artists expressed
legends, myths and traditional beliefs in their artwork. Other painters who were members of the
“Taller Libre de Arte”, like Mario Abreu,
“sought to combine high art with folk art, the urban with the symbolic sources
of Venezuela’s religious myths.”
As
the 20th century progressed with technology, Venezuelan artists also
experimented with conceptual art along a variety of paths, including
installation, video, conceptual objects, happenings and actions. A new movement known as “New Drawing”
enjoyed a winning position of prominence within the country’s history of
art. The movement was dedicated to
reinvigorate drawing in Venezuela.
Today
Venezuela’s artists are as prolific and versatile as the country Venezuela
itself. This particular exhibit
showcases three contemporary Venezuelan artists, Eduardo Azuaje, Juan Urbina and
Freddy Villarroel.
Their
work provides an excellent sampling of the varied techniques and composition
styles one may find in that region.
They each have distinct approaches in the manner that they express
Venezuela, their homeland and cultural heritage. Brought together one can experience a touch of Venezuela through
these artist’s eyes.