While going to the museum to work on the “Food in Art” assignment, I got to experience different kinds of art from around the world. While there I found out that they had an exhibit named “Adios Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Art Since 1950.” It is an exhibit about the Cuban people and their stories after Fidel Castro defeated Fulgencio Batista and took control of Cuba.. So, I decided to go there first to see what it was about, and I must say it was a pleasantly surprised.
Even though the whole exhibit was great, one artist stood out to me. That artist was a photographer by the name of Ricardo G. Elías. The first thing that caught my eye was the black and white photos but the caption blew me away, it read, “Sin azúcar no hay país” or without sugar there is no country. The first photo that I saw and the one I liked the most was a black and white picture of a bowl of sugar. Such a simple picture but such a strong message. For the Cuban people, whose main export was sugar, it was the basis for their economy. Sugar in a sense was life for them. Working in the production of sugar gave them a roof over their head, clothes on their back, and most importantly fed them. Cuba was once known as the “World’s Sugar Bowl.” However, during the 80’s when the socialist bloc collapsed, Cuba was thrown into a spiral and was force to find other means of income. There were three other photographs by Elías, that were equally as powerful. They were also black and white, one was of an old sugar carrying locomotive, another was of a sugar factory, and the last one was of a sugar cane plantation. I think this picture a long with the others he had, gives us a brief insight to the life of the Cuban people during this time.
Art can express emotions that some us cannot express through words. In this case, we see the plight and feelings of the Cuban people after Fidel Castro took power. I think it’s just amazing how a single work art can express so much. I think the exhibit was great, but at another exhibit I saw a painting that I really liked. The exhibit was called “American Decorative Arts & Paintings.” Let’s say it appealed to the inner-kid in me!
Even though the whole exhibit was great, one artist stood out to me. That artist was a photographer by the name of Ricardo G. Elías. The first thing that caught my eye was the black and white photos but the caption blew me away, it read, “Sin azúcar no hay país” or without sugar there is no country. The first photo that I saw and the one I liked the most was a black and white picture of a bowl of sugar. Such a simple picture but such a strong message. For the Cuban people, whose main export was sugar, it was the basis for their economy. Sugar in a sense was life for them. Working in the production of sugar gave them a roof over their head, clothes on their back, and most importantly fed them. Cuba was once known as the “World’s Sugar Bowl.” However, during the 80’s when the socialist bloc collapsed, Cuba was thrown into a spiral and was force to find other means of income. There were three other photographs by Elías, that were equally as powerful. They were also black and white, one was of an old sugar carrying locomotive, another was of a sugar factory, and the last one was of a sugar cane plantation. I think this picture a long with the others he had, gives us a brief insight to the life of the Cuban people during this time.
Art can express emotions that some us cannot express through words. In this case, we see the plight and feelings of the Cuban people after Fidel Castro took power. I think it’s just amazing how a single work art can express so much. I think the exhibit was great, but at another exhibit I saw a painting that I really liked. The exhibit was called “American Decorative Arts & Paintings.” Let’s say it appealed to the inner-kid in me!