Essays on 20th Century Latin American Art

Rezensionen / Stimmen

In her pathbreaking Essays on 20th Century Latin American Art, Francine Birbragher provides an in-depth analysis about the interrelations between art, gender, politics, and ideology in Latin America, without a doubt, one of the most convulsive regions in the world. The chapter on Contemporary Cuban Art is a rigorous account about the artists who during the eighties and the nineties made significant contributions to the development of Cuban Art. Birbragher emphasizes the aesthetic role played by African and Amerindian cultures in some of these artists' works, and how these elements have enriched and diversified the multiple visions recreated on the canvas or captured by the photographic lens. The use of the visual art scene for the promotion of political discussion and social changes permeates the entire text, making this reading a valuable tool for a better understanding of the relationship between art and politics.

Perla Rozencvaig, Latin American and Iberian Cultures, Columbia University, USA

The book, Essays on 20th Century Latin American Art, is of special interest for readers who are keen on Latin-American art due to the choice of subjects it presents. It's focused on six significant aspects such as modernity, abstraction, and genre, emphasizing on Caribbean art in the latter three chapters and introducing a not so explored subject that could be of great appeal to both specialized and casual readers: the Carnival celebrations. . . It is quite rare to find on the market a publication that gathers so many diverse aspects of Latin American art, written with such thoroughness or with this pleasantness. This is certainly a read that will attract a broad audience.

Ivonne Pini, Emeritus Professor of Art History, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia