Page 415 - Arte e Historia
P. 415
Art and History
at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection
Flowers,» oil/canvas, 101x142 cm., 1995 v «Rocky Peak,» oil/ traces, graphics or transparent or abstract stains. On the
high cliff, at its peak, there are three spectral birds in
canvas, 100x75 cm., 1998. a still descends, perhaps threatened during their flight.
The three works are figurative and approach real- Behind the humanoid resembling rocky body, there are
the blue sea and the black night dotted with stars. It is
ity as pure references, spiritually distilled with a variety a pictorial work that invites reflection, aesthetic enjoy-
of unique approaches. In the painting «Butterflies,» the ment, and longing to reach the harmony of life.
composition settles into geometric planes, whose axis is
the central square where a large spectral butterfly lies José Cestero. (b. 1937). He continues its biographical
trapped in a calcified metaphysical time, divided into
two inner planes. The blue top coincides with the celes- speech on Santo Domingo’s ancient architecture, tran-
tial backplane, also diurnal and imparting an accented scribing with romantic and nostalgic memory two works
white which borders both planimetric forms. The central in acrylic/canvas «Antigua Plaza Colón» (76x100 cm.,
accented and transparent frame extends to the large all 1990) and «Antigua Casa de Diego Colón» (76x101 cm.,
black flat bottom, representing the nocturne containing 1991). His unique style of painting, spontaneous writing,
blue floating butterflies and budding circles. The con- almost instantaneously, avoiding any academic or realis-
trast between the delicate and bottom shade of cream tic faithfulness, being faithful to his own masterly com-
where the large butterfly is diluted, increases the magical mand of expressionism.
or surreal atmosphere of a time that stood still.
Ada Balcácer. (b. 1930). Is an unmistakable female art-
«Wildflowers» is a masterpiece like «Butterfly». It of-
fers a special tonal difference, as well as a compositional ist with rank of teacher, who was awarded the National
and thematic ambiguity or, as in the representation of the Prize of the Arts by the Dominican State (2012), and
«Flowers,» incipient emanations of female faces that em- whose exhibition «Wings and Roots,» in the Centro
body and refer to the «Three Graces.» They run through, León (November, 2011/February, 2012) brought together
specter-like, in their plantations, which are multiplied in a collection of works produced since 1966 through 2011.
three gray planes, rectangular and separated, giving the The catalog offered a summary of her resume, indicating
impression that they evolved from space-time, since the her further studies, after graduating from the National
composition suggests distance between iconic texts and School of Fine Arts, in colour theory, textile design, en-
background. The wild flowers are spirits perceived as graving; and also her teaching experience, her role as pro-
objectives dilutions of transparent ranges of yellows and moter and activist, as well as a muralist. Also underlines
pinks on a pearly white. The painting reflects a magi- her awards, and personal exhibitions between 1966 and
cal, poetic, and lyrical movement, distinctive of a lyrical 2002, such as: «Participating Spaces» (1973), «Tales of
painter in all his fullness. Ada» (1980), «Palm Tree» (1981), «Tests of tropical light»
(1986), «Tropical Light Art» (1991), «Sculptures jungle»
«Rocky Peak,» a work created with acrylic and oil/ (1996)… besides her showing in major Dominican col-
canvas, 100x75 cm., 1998. This is the third work of Mas- lective: the Projects Group, of which she was a member
ter Defilló Peña, unlike the previous one, eloquently con- (1968-1970), «New Image Expo: Twelve Vanguard Art-
ceived with technical handling of combined effects in the ists» (1972), «Contemporary Dominican Art» sponsored
chromatic ranges and in the composition. A rocky and by the Banco Popular, and her showing at the New York
symmetric body dominates the main plane of the land- Sign Gallery (1981).
scape vision; a cliff affording the variables of the mat-
ter affected by time in its stony condition, filling it with
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