Page 371 - Arte e Historia
P. 371
Art and History
at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection
an aerial view from the top. The geometric making de- and thorough, tangled spelling, defines the expressionist
fine the axis furniture’s jamb and a couple of chairs’ backs language in both pieces.
different in size and location. The relation between the
broad semicircular table and the small designs resembling Vicente Pimentel. (Santo Domingo, 1942). He gradu-
a checkerboard is completed with two vertical and hori-
zontal rectangular strips defining the floor. Pale yellow, the ates from the National School of Fine Arts (1968), stand-
various blue and the red, are his essential colour ranges ing out as a draftsman who obtained four awards at the E.
defining an eloquent new-plasticism from the Antilles. León Jimenes Art Contest from 1966-1970. He worked as
a teacher of drawing at the same institution from which
Ada Balcácer. In the 1970s, his drawing and picto- he graduated, and was awarded first prized at the XII Na-
tional Biennial (1972). After receiving a scholarship from
rial work is diverse and growing, synchronized with the France in 1973, he enrols in Marseille in a course about
guiding thread represented by the Antilles’ nature in its plastic expression. A second scholarship allows him to re-
features: geography, flora, water, light, sky, woman and main in Paris, where he studies museography, while dedi-
mythology. Her repertory is wide open, always marked by cating himself to his studies and research. He resided in
an exceptional or unique identification. Paris, reaching a meaningful transcendence as a painter.
Aquiles Azar García. (Santo Domingo, 1932). He re- «The Lovers,» ink/paper, 72x49 cm., 1972. Pimentel
shows a sharp drawing and agility in the entities and
ceived his firsts artistic guidance from Gilberto Fernan- spelling solutions; conceiving shape, movement and rep-
dez Diez (Colegio de La Salle) and at George Hausdorf resentations of a love scene. This drawing transmits an
Academy (1945-1946), culminating his instruction at the expressionist vigour that gets bigger with the paper vin-
Fine Arts National School (1946-1950). Then, he opted tage sepia, to showcase the lovers couple.
for the Odontology career at the Santo Domingo Univer-
sity, completing his graduate studies in Argentina. In the Ramón Oviedo. He goes through the 1960s as a mili-
1950s he holds his first individual and takes part at dif-
ferent collectives and competitions. In 1963 he obtains tant artist recognized successively at 1969 and 1970 León
an Honorary Mention at the Alianza Francesa’s Contest. Jimenes Contests. In 1974, at the XII National Biennial
He was also awarded in various editions of León Jimenes he is awarded the Great Honor Prize. From that year on,
Contest, namely in 1968, 1969 and 1971. He won also an his pictorial work experiences a turn in his individual ex-
award at the 1974 National Biennial. hibitions; namely at Casa de Teatro (1974), the Modern
Art Gallery, the Cándido Bidó’s Gallery and the Retro-
«Composition,» acrylic and ink/paper, 30x30 inch., 1975 spective; all of them in 1979. Around that time, one of
v «Jug and Casseroles,» charcoal, acrylic/canvas, 80x126 cm., his pieces entered the OAS Contemporary Arts Museum,
1975. Both paintings offer different format approaches, in Washington, DC.
although not in the themes about pots-and-pans, and
utilitarian utensils. The «Composition» on a square for- «Where Do We Come From?» mix/canvas, 140x181 cm.,
mat shows a concentration of various objects, dipped in 1975. Big format painting, among those showed at Casa
different tones, among them, yellow, blue and brown. In de Teatro, «expressive, anguished thematic (…) like screams of
«Jug and Casseroles» the composition’s solution is hori- a drama true testimony,» Jeannette Miller states, adding: The
zontal and rhythmic from the high bottles to the four themes: Where do we come from? What do we are? And where
small tureens. The discourse, underlined by black lines are we going? are the human being classic questions in facing
the existence (…) Red, and mammee colors, acrylic, oil, scrapped
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