Cover
Information Page
Information Page
Business Man [sic]
Contractor
Old Politico
Dealer
Preacher
Banker
The Artist
Balsero
Involuntary Terrorist
El Dictador
Luis Cruz Azaceta Cuban, b. 1942
Measures of the portfolio jacket: 20.25 x 20.25 in
49.53 x 49.53 cm
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Titles of images as shown: Business Man, Contractor, Old Politico, Dealer, Preacher, Banker, The Artist, Balsero, Involuntary Terrorist and El Dictador. This is a limited edition of 10 portfolios with 10 digital prints each; each print is numbered 1 to 10 of 10 and signed by the artist. Miami 2011 printed on Hahnemuhle Bamboo Fine Art Paper 290 gsm paper.
Provenance
PERSONAJES
Luis Cruz Azaceta and Pan American Art Projects
The idea for this portfolio was born out of Luis Cruz Azaceta's series of drawings Personajes (Characters). The drawings rep resent generic 'characters' that he has encountered in his life, including himself. Among them are the ever-present dictator, the banker, the contractor, the preacher, the politician, the businessman, and even the artist. This is a playful group of drawings, but with a serious intent.
Azaceta says that "this work drew upon humor, absurdity and exaggeration to convey a certain "personaje" - a character. It seems to have somewhat of an iconic look - an isolated figure in a white field where the extremities turn into specific elements, which help to depict the character more fully".
Irony has always been part of Azaceta's work and, in this series of drawings, he has intentionally made his 'personajes' cartoonish looking, magnifying their faults. There is a fable-like component as well, because he includes animal elements as part of the character's attributes, like for the Contractor, who is sporting rabbit ears and teeth.
We are used to Azaceta's art as not being complacent; it is visceral, aggressive, and even intrusive. It is a direct social critique, meant to disrupt the status quo; it calls attention to some aspects of humanity which the artist confronts face on.
Irina Leyva-Perez