Page 366 - Arte e Historia

Danilo De los Santos
unique case, shares the same territory with another na-
tion, differentiated and sister at the same time.
On the Dominican socio-geographical body, art history
is a concrete and spiritual manifestation expanding in vari-
ous cycles from past to present; period this later in which,
the artists and their creative work draw up the diachronic
and the synchrony. The later results been multiple whenever
confluent generations and their diverse linguistic, thematic
and visual discourses, meet. The aesthetic breezes transfuse
the modern creations without diminishing this art authen-
ticity nor its identity. It remains an irrefutable, mysterious resided at a large wooden house with hipped roofs, the
and transcendental treasure of the Dominican being.
There is not a cultural manifestation more liberat-
ing than art. By it, every human being inspired by his her
power of invention, resembles the Creator Father. By di-
vine delegation, the artist creates and recreates life, in a
monologue with his-her inner cognitive and imagination’s
powers as well as in a dialogue with his-her fellow artist.
The dialogue between diverse artists allows us to get into
the 1970’s decade, a period when many representatives of
various generations coincide, so we can talk about brand
new, young recognized names and well known veterans.
All of then keeping distance from the rest as individuali-
ties, while at the same time, synchronizing their experience
as part of the same arts local history.
Within the treasure that represents the Banco Popu-
lar’s art collection, the inter-generations encounter al-
lows us to enlist the representations according to the
emerging dates:
1920-1930 stage: Yoryi Morel, a veteran master, six
decades of pictorial activism until his death in 1979.
1940’s Generation: Antonio Prats-Ventós, Spaniard refu-
gee since his adolescence, remains in the country acquir-
ing artistic formation. He creates a Dominican family
and stands out as a plural artist and a professor. Militants
since 1950: Aquiles Azar García, Plutarco Andújar, Ada
Balcácer, Guillo Pérez and Hilario Rodríguez, graduated
and renowned artists, two of them linked to Yoryi’s Acad-
emy and almost all of them to the Fine Arts National
School. Names associated to the 1960’s decade: Cándido
Bidó, Alberto Bass, León Bosch, Adolfo Piantini, Vicente
Pimentel, Roberto Flores, Julia de Guerra, Virgilio Méndez,
Orlando Menicucci, Ramón Oviedo, José Ramírez Conde,
Nancy Rosado, Geo Ripley and Justo Susana. Novísimos
from 1970: Alonso Cuevas, Melchor Terrero, Alberto
Ulloa, Fernando Ureña Rib and Carlos Hidalgo.
Yoryi Morel. The master. Was 64 years old by 1974
when he created the piece «Market.» At that time he
same one where he was born in 1906. There he had his
atelier redesigned several times. Among them «Good
fortune,» the latrine transformed into a refuge for his
juvenile productions, like «Wagner,» the pale colors il-
lustrated fanzine. 50 years have passed since the edition,
published in 1924, preserved as a memorable work. In
the Fall of his life, father of five, three of them born to
his beloved Ilonka Szaba, the painter use to incessantly
conjugate ranges of colors with his palette and brushes,
interrupted from time to time by different afflictions:
the cigar puff, the rum sip, his violin, the visitors siege
and the necessity to cover the family expenses with art
pieces for the best buyer of his imaginary, mainly «local-
colour» themes he used to sign on cardboard, canvas and
paper. The billow affecting his pupils finally made him
half blind, but Yoryi Morel was a conscious artist with an
unstoppable instinct. Only death would stop him.
«Market,» gouache/paper, 90x115.5 cm., 1974. The theme’s
visual discourse expands from the fruits merchant’s sym-
metric focuses and the merchant woman’s flowers basket;
both equidistant in the forefront; until the focal diffusion
on the second plane. The capture of the crowd, buying
and selling on a fruits market, is depicted as an impres-
sionist style. The chromatic range outline the forms with
lyric dazzle. The master, with his singular ability to in-
terpret the instant with precise and agile brush-stroke,
emblazon the creole market scene. The excitement of the
everyday work time is felt.
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