"I think that the political reading given to my work is fundamental, that it can’t be left aside, and that if it is cannot be completely understood. What’s more, I feel that a mere esthetic reading of my work would be a betrayal.” Antonio Berni.
Delicio Antonio Berni was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, in 1905. He is a distinguished painter who in 1926 went to live in France and when he came back to Argentina in 193 initiated Political Art in our country.
Political art is not propaganga. Political Art is a way of participating in the political phenomenon independently of any political party. The aim of it is to encourage social transformation.
I decided to write about this artist since he was born in Rosario and since I find his works really interesting. Besides, he is the creator of a well known character in the teacher training college: Juanito Laguna, a boy from the slums whose life was pictured by Berni in a series of paintings. The first one was exhibited in 1961.
The paintings I found most interesting are “Unemployed”, 1934(“Desocupados”); “Midnight in the World”, (1936-1937) (“Medianoche en el Mundo”) and “The Hired Hand’s Family” (1975) (“La familia del peón”). These paintings are clear illustrations of what Politic Art is. The first one pictures a group of men and a woman with a child living in the streets waiting lucklessly for an opportunity to lead a better life. In “Midnight in the World” we are shown the unfortunate life lead by homeless people, suffering from illnesses, awaiting their tragic fate. And the last one, “The Hired Hand’s Family”, pictures the desolation of the working class family.
I hope you like the paintings and the fact that now you know who Juanito Laguna is. For me, up to know, he had been an unknown character whose name only reminded me of the constantly incoming mails delivered by the Juanito Laguna movement.
Juli, really interesting what you've taught us. It's a pity this kind of art is not widespread, or at least its political message. Then, we come to interpret and judge paintings only because of their artistic value, or methods of development, and rarely do we recognise in them these social issues you are talking about. Then, paintings becomes "messageless" but only a "wonderful" piece of work. But are we aware of what it is really telling to us?
ResponderEliminarBesides, there must be so many other painters who encourage social transformation through their works. And then, we claim people do not participate actively in politics.