Carly V.- Blog Post #13

Guyasamin’s art was something that was truly amazing and allowed us to see every side of what he was trying to portray. As far as aesthetic, his pieces were very appealing to the eye both in his color choices and techniques. The way in which Guyasamin used texture allowed us to see so much more within his paintings. This detail added to the stories he was telling. He was also very specific about using colors to convey his messages. Solemn stories did not contain bright colors, but rather dark tones to represent what a person was feeling. Guyasamin’s political views were clearly portrayed in his artwork. It was evident that he was not satisfied with the political situation and the way that his people were being affected by political choices. Guyasamin was not afraid to paint his people and this was the main purpose of all of his paintings, to portray people as they are.

Guyasamin is such an important Ecuadorian artist because he was the trailblazer as far as revealing the true nature of the people of Ecuador. As stated in a video that we watched today, “Painting is a sort of prayer as well as a cry.” Guyasamin did not sugar coat any aspect of the people that he portrayed in his paintings. He did not wish to glorify anything but reveal the truth, as ugly as it may be. This was so important because it allowed for everyone to understand life as it was for many of the minority of people such as indigenous Ecuadorians and African Americans. Guyasamin told a story of what life truly was for his people and put it on display for all to see.

I believe that the painting of Chilean dictator Augosto Pinochet was considered controversial because it is a very gruesome and revealing portrait. Pinochet is portrayed in a bloody and brutal manner with what seems like a noose around his neck. I think that seeing something like this can be very offensive to people. Although Guyasamin is very literal in his depictions, this is one painting that may have gone a bit too far in its portrayal. It was also mentioned that when tourists from Chile came to the museum this painting was very upsetting, as expected. I think this painting was ultimately removed because although it was something Guyasamin felt strongly enough to turn into art, the controversy that loomed around it far outweighed this.