Ventura County Stary, August 9, 2007

Farve: Latin history, artfully

The arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492 meant the expansion of trade routes that connected the New World with Europe and Asia. It also meant the beginning of the end for already ancient civilizations through Spain's rapid, violent colonization.

But despite disruption and destruction, deeply rooted culture survived. Though heavily influenced by European traditions, there remains an indelible stamp from indigenous artists.

"The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820" is an ambitious overview of that confluence of style and substance from Mexico down to Peru.

Organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the exhibition is on view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, with additional offerings specifically for its only West Coast stop.

"This city, which is a great hub of creative energy, is perhaps better poised than anywhere else in the United States to get this exhibition in its fullest dimension," said co-curator Joseph Rishel. "And it's wonderful that this institution is committed to the importance of getting outside the box of inherited high Northern European responses of what is really important in works of art."

The Los Angeles version of the exhibit features more than 200 paintings, sculptures, pieces of furniture and crafts, many unattributed, as the artists' names have been lost through the centuries.

Though divided into several themes, the exhibition is permeated by religion in each gallery. The Spanish used paintings as a missionary tool. "Archangel with Gun," from late-17th- or early-18th-century Bolivia, is one of many depictions of the archangel carrying a weapon that until the arrival of the Spanish was completely unknown.

This archangel signified to those who converted to Christianity that they were watched by a powerful protector.

Placed next to the archangel is José de Alcíbar's "Conditions for a Good Confession," a dual-image painting from the 18th century that expresses the dangers of lying about one's sins. On the right side, the devil claims the soul of a dishonest man, while on the left an honest confessor is granted God's grace.

The European conceptions of Christianity spread throughout Latin America, but new icons developed organically.

"The Virgin of Guadalupe" appears in several of the exhibition's offerings and remains a dominant figure in Latin culture.

It was one of the regional cults that developed in Latin America based on miraculous sightings of Mary or Jesus.

Some in the church encouraged such cults, believing they strengthen ties with the indigenous people.

Another image, one that likely shocked Europeans, is "Christ Child Crucified," an 18th-century sculpture from Guatemala. It's believed that the image stems from the Gospels that tell of Mary's premonition of her son Jesus suffering on a cross.

Clear examples of confluence between the old and new can be seen in "The Virgin Mary and Rich Mountain of Potosi," from Bolivia (c. 1740), in which Mary's body has become the earth filled with silver that was mined by the Incans — and later the Spaniards.

As explained by Rishel in the exhibition's audio tour, "The remarkable thing about this image is you see this all-giving virgin with her hands, her arms open, and then with little threads of silver running as if they were her bloodstream, with a globe at the foot, with the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope on either side, laying their claim to the wealth of this phenomenal thing."

"The Virgin Mary and the Rich Mountain of Potosi" overlooks an entire gallery filled with silver treasures.

Further context to this exhibit is provided through the audio tour. Some of the most impressive works are explained in detail by the narrator, actor Andy Garcia.

LACMA also is offering a companion exhibit, "Highlights of Spanish Colonial Art from the Colección de Patricia Phelps de Cisneros."

Together, the two exhibits give a glimpse of the complex and rich world of Latin American art during its tumultuous time of transition.

See more at: http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/aug/09/latin-history-artfully/

Jeff Favre
August 9, 2007

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