Paige Blog #13

1) How would you characterize Guyasamin's art at both aesthetic and political levels?  
When we first were introduced to Guyasamin in class I did not believe he was as big of a deal in Ecuador. Today the museum and tour proved me wrong! While I have not taken any art history course or know the categories of art, I would say Guyasamin's art is very bold and geometric. He uses colors that are very bright, bold and that contrast one another in the painting. His lines are harsh and it appears that he uses very thick lines in his art. I was so surprised to hear he did the one guitarists painting in only an hour! He uses shapes that are abstract and may appear out of place for a standard painting.

In terms of the political messages Guyasamin sends through his art, I would consider him a radical. He brings to light, through his art, issues that others may not know about or be willing to discuss. The policies issues in Guyasamin's work are dark, deadly and devastating. He depicts the horrific reality of a corrupt government on its people. His art has significant political weight and has the power to bring about issues the world must face together. 

2) Why is he such an important Ecuadorian artist? 
Guyasamin is an important artist in Ecuador because of the messages he sends through his work. He has brought up a topic that usually is not talked about in public spaces. By incorporating many native cultures Guyasamin has been able to create a historical narrative that can reach many people. Art communicates messages to a variety of different audiences, regardless of their culture or language. 

Guyasamin art is extremely political in nature. Politics in South America has had a tainted reputation due to corruption. The paintings portray that distrust, desire for a better future and a worry the people have in their government. Guyasamin's art shows the harsh reality of life, and that is that life is not happy for everyone. Through his paintings of slaves dying Guyasamin articulates the pain and suffering of millions of Black people. He draws children with hope in their eyes and their eyes big and wide, as if they are opening up to their hopeful future. He draws adults smaller and in more pain, since the hopeful future seems unobtainable. 

This art has the power to bring to light issues the natives face throughout their history and their daily lives. By being an ambassador for change and for peace, Guyasamin moves people to have hope for a better future. 

Why do you think this was considered controversial and ultimately removed from the museum?

I would consider this piece controversial because of the rope it's hanging from. This rope is tied in a similar fashion to ropes used to hang people. The painting is symbolizing this person being killed and people from his home country found this offensive. I too would find this offensive if it was a U.S. president so I understand why people had negative feelings towards this painting. However, I do not feel as if the painting should necessarily be removed just because it makes people uncomfortable. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meng - Blog 16

1. In Paige's Blog(#14), she mentioned that she used some nonverbal communication to communicate with teachers when they were cooking. It is an effective way of intercultural communication. I totally agree that sometimes, if you don't know how to express yourself, body language helps a lot, and it even works better than language. 2. In Blog12, Tyessa said that she feel not close with her host family, and usually, they don't communicate with each other too much, which makes she felt upset because she wants to get closer to them. In my points of view, it can be seen as an ineffective communication. I think in the process of communicating with people, sometimes you should learn to be proactive. Break the silence first, and take the initiative to communicate with others. If you are especially enthusiastic about other people, they will feel it. 3. An example of effective communication came from  Linsey. She talked about how the communication way changed ...
Read more
      I will admit that the thing I am looking forward to the most when I get back home is some good, processed, junk food. It seems strange, because I like the food in Ecuador, and am almost always willing to be adventurous and try new foods. But that sense of adventure is exactly the problem. I rarely feel as though I can just gulp down anything placed in front of me, secure in the knowledge of exactly what it is and what it will taste like. The classic foods from home will allow me to eat with that security intact, and that security is what I really miss.      I think the thing I will miss the most about Ecuador is the sense of adventure that I could feel every time I left the house, whether it was just to class at the academia or to some other attraction. I loved the feeling that I was going to see new sights, experience new things, and accomplish something impressive every day. The quote that struck me today, as we were le...
Read more

Blog post #15

1) what are you most excited about returning to in the US? What I am most looking forward to about heading home is the opportunity to share my experiences with others. I want to share the funny stories of my host family with my friends and family here in the U.S. so that they too can be exposed to some Ecuadorian culture. I am very much looking forward to returning home because I will use my experience of Ecuador to further think about what it is I want to do with my life. Not having a clear path for my profession is a challenge for me, but through using my travel experience to discover what my passions and interest are, I am always one step closer to knowing what it is I want to do with my life.   2) what will you miss the most about Ecuador? What I think I am going to miss most is the walk to school Carolina and I shared in the mornings and afternoons. In the two mile hike to school I saw mothers sending their kids off to the bus, adults off to work and busses ...
Read more