Luis Cruz Azaceta Solo Show: "Personal Velocity in the Age of Covid"

Luis Cruz Azaceta, Vitral, 2020 Acrylic on canvas, 48h x 96w in, 121.92h x 243.84w cm

Lyle O. Reitzel Gallery presents "Luis Cruz Azaceta: Personal Velocity in the Age of Covid.

Lyle O. Reitzel Gallery celebrates its 25th anniversary with a spectacular exhibition by New Orleans-based Cuban-American master Luis Cruz Azaceta. The show is set to open, for the first time ever at LOR Gallery in a virtual manner, via Instagram live @lorgallery, Wednesday December 3rd, 2020.

The exhibition is made up of a selection curated by Reitzel of 5 unpublished pieces produced by the artist during the confinement in the 2020 quarantine, along with 6 other works at a retrospective level, which belong to the period 2007-2019, connected to each other in a natural evolution in terms of language, palette and composition within the iconography that identifies Azaceta’s universe.

In paintings such as "Pandemia 2" and "Pandemia 3" Azaceta addresses the "poetic window of the virus and its state of mutation; a cacophony of horror and beauty". He embraces the chaos it has caused and channels it through his own artistic hand, bringing us in the end a powerful exhibition both visually and philosophically. 

According to Cruz Azaceta: "In my work I always face reality, whether implementing figuration, abstraction or a combination of both, which allows me the freedom to express my ideas in relation to the situations that occur in the world, creating images to express this condition... Once the work becomes something mechanical to a certain degree in which I know what is going to happen I stop and move on to something else. I don't like to repeat myself and let the work become totally mannerist and mechanical. That's boring to me. I like to be surprised by the process, creating things I don't expect, and that's what keeps me excited and moving forward”.

Luis Cruz Azaceta, born in Havana in 1942, immigrated to the United States in 1960, settled in New York and graduated from the School of Visual Arts, beginning his 40-plus year career as an artist. Cruz Azaceta bursts into the Big Apple as one of the great pillars of Latino origin, with a proposal committed to social causes, denouncing from the vanguard the violence in the streets, the drama of AIDS, the war in Iraq and oil, the dictatorships in Latin America, and being also the first to address, in his plastic discourse, the migration crisis of Cuban rafters.

The artist has exhibited extensively nationally and internationally and has received awards from The Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The New York Foundation for the Arts, and The Joan Mitchell Foundation. His works belong to the Permanent Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, N.Y., Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), N.Y., The Whitney Museum of American Art, NY, The Museum Of Fine Arts Boston, MA. The New Orleans Museum Of Art, New Orleans, Cortes, Art Collection, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island School Of Design Museum Collection, Providence, RI. San Antonio Museum Of Art, TX, Harvard Art Museum, Cambridge, MA, Museo del Barrio, New York, The Smithsonian American Museum of Art in Washington, DC, MARCO, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey, Mexico, PAMM Museum, Miami, FL. 

LOR Gallery has represented Cruz Azaceta's work for over 15 years, organizing seven memorable solo exhibitions, including "Migrations, Labyrinths & Hallucinations"(2005), "No Words"(2007), "Labyrinths"(2010) "Falling Sky"(2013), "Swimming to Havana" in New York(2016) and "A Question of Color" (2018).

The exhibition will be open to the public until January 30, 2021.

Luis Cruz Azaceta, Laberintos, 2019 Acrylic on canvas 48h x 96w in, 121.92h x 243.84w cm

Luis Cruz Azaceta, Amazona Devastation, 2020 Acrylic on canvas, 48h x 96w in 121.92h x 243.84w cm

The entire exhibition can be seen here:

Luis Cruz Azaceta at the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans

News! The work of the Cuban/American master Luis Cruz Azaceta, is currently featured in a new exhibition, MAKE AMERICA WHAT AMERICA MUST BECOME at the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans. Curated by George Scheer, CAC Executive Director,, Katrina Neumann, Curator, Private Collection, NYC and Toccarra A. H. Thomas, Director of the Joan Mitchell Center, N.O.

LUIS CRUZ AZACETA x ARTSY

How does art keep you going during difficult times?

Art is what always sustained me as a person & as an artist. We have ups & downs in life, economic difficulties, etc. Being a Cuban in exile, uprooted from my country were difficult times which made me adapt, persevere & have faith. To me, art keeps me grounded & engaged with reality.

How has your art practice been affected by self-isolation? In my case, to create art you have to be in isolation. I guess most artists are surrounded by 4 walls - isolation allows you to think, meditate & create ideas. This kind of isolation due to the virus which effects us all collectively in many ways besides being physically impacted we are also affected psychologically. Right now I have a series of paintings addressing the virus (covid19) like I did with the Aids epidemic (HIV) back in the ‘80s.

How are you staying creative?

For me, art is a necessity. I always stay creative - that’s why I make sure to have extra materials & art supplies on hand in my studio in case of a sudden event that may stop you form making art: you may not have the means to acquire the materials necessary - like at this moment. I’m never without materials. When I sell a work, part of the money goes towards materials. Might be a psychological factor for me--the importance of having supplies abundant at all times.

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Luis Cruz Azaceta Floating Head, 2008 Acrylic, chacoal, shellac on canvas "94x95.5"

Are you creating new work while social distancing?

The galleries are the ones facing social distancing at this point.

Who are some other artists you are moved by right now?

For me the artist that always keeps me going is Picasso - his endless energy & passion. To me, the greatest humanist is Jose Clemente Orozco.

How are you staying in touch with your community or supporting other artists?

I’ve supported many artists by writing recommendations for grants. The young artists I try to encourage them to have perseverance, discipline & tenacity.

What work of art in your home means the most to you?

FLOATING HEAD, 2008 - is a painting that I’ve had in my living room for the past two years. Its a head (self-portrait) surrounded by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. In New Orleans people suffered, lost their lives, homes, jobs & were displaced. This tragedy brings to mind the suffering within the horrific pandemic we’re experiencing now. The unexpected that shakes us to our core.

Luis Cruz Azaceta River Flow I, 2008 Acrylic, charcoal on canvas 98 × 95 1/2 in

Luis Cruz Azaceta Pandemic 3, 2020 Acrylic on canvas 72h x 96w in

ESPACIO VIVO: THE NEW, THE COMEBACK, THE RETURN

Los Bravú, “Retrato de chica con gorra”, 2018 Vinyl acrylic on Arches 300gr paper 29h x 22w in.

Espacio Vivo: The New, The Comeback, The Unexpected.

Lyle O. Reitzel Gallery founded in 1995, celebrates 23 years of uninterrupted trajectory representing the national and international contemporary art scene. LOR Gallery introduces their new collective show titled Espacio Vivo: The New, The Comeback, The Unexpected in their Santo Domingo headquarters this 23rd of November, 2018.

This exhibition comprises of a body of work composed by several artists of different backgrounds, style and generations.

The New is represented by the emerging Spanish Duo “Los Bravú”. Dea Gómez (1988) and Diego Omil (1989) established in Pontevedra, Spain. The artists came together to create a unique language influenced by Italian Renascentist iconography juxtaposed with contemporary elements. In addition, renowned artist Jesús Zurita (Ceuta, 1975) established in Granada, Spain, introduces pieces defined by his attention to detail and his relationship with images and media, which is why film, animation, comics and literature are key items in his work.

Gustavo Acosta, “Gliding” Acrylic on Canvas 67h × 67w in

The Comeback of Cuban artist Gustavo Acosta (1958) solidifies the show with his enigmatic compositions in which architecture, symbolism and abstract imagery trigger the spectators collective memory. Starring The Unexpected is Dominican artist Juan Mayí (1963), whose explosive and expressive brushstrokes complement his experimental abstractionism, resulting in captivating artwork.

Juan Mayí, X from the series “Memoria Sígnica”, 2015. Oil on linen. 203h x 203w cm

In addition, we exhibit the works of Iconic cuban artists Luis Cruz Azaceta (1942) and José Bedia (1959), Uruguayan maestro Ignacio Iturria (1949), winner of the Venice Biennial, Edouard Duval-Carrié (1954, Haití), recently honored with the first Ellie Michael Richards price awarded by Art Center/South Florida, and Santiago Ydáñez (1969, Jaén), recipient of the BMW Painting Award 2018. Joining Mayí in the exhibition, are fellow Dominican artists José García Cordero(1951), Raúl Recio (1965), Gerard Ellis (1976) and Gustavo Peña (1979). Lastly, the great contemporary artist Walter Iraheta (El Salvador, 1968) re-incorporates the team showcasing his new series of drawings on paper “Gente Armada”.

Jesús Zurita, “Amanece”, 2009 Acrylic on Linen. 200h x 200w cm

LOR Gallery is the result of 23 years of hard work, successfully becoming a catalyst for the contemporary art scene in the Dominican Republic. By vigorously working with a selection of dominican, caribbean and latin american artists LOR Gallery helped place the Dominican Republic on the artistic map. With the use of basic tools such as intuition, a critical eye and a particular taste that transcends fashion and tendencies, LOR Gallery discovers new talents while supporting established ones in a multicultural atmosphere; because of this, it has elevated artists by placing their work in private and international collections.

Through 2006-2010 LOR Gallery established its presence in the international market opening a new space in Wynwood Art District. In June 2016 its branch in New York inaugurated with José García Cordero’s solo show titled “Tales From the Caribbean Nights”.

LOR Gallery has organized numerous exhibitions in museums, institutions and galleries worldwide, including its participation in some of the most prestigious international art fairs such as: ARCO, Madrid; VOLTA, New York; CONTEXT Art, Miami; Art Miami, CONTEXT New York, ARTE BA, Buenos Aires. PULSE Miami; SCOPE New York, SCOPE Miami’, PINTA, Londres, PINTA, New York; ZONA MACO, México; MIART, Milano; KIAF, Korea, etc.

Espacio Vivo: The New, The Comeback, The Unexpected

Opening: November 23rd, 2018.

Duration: 7 – 10 PM

November 23, 2018

Lyle O. Reitzel Gallery Santo Domingo,

Gustavo Mejía Ricart esq Abraham Lincoln

Torre Piantini, Suite 1A

TALKING ABOUT AZACETA: WITH MARIANNE DE TOLENTINO AND JANET BATET

Lyle O. Reitzel Gallery presented the conference “Trans-identity and Rupture” on June the 23th, facilitated by the critic and art analyst Marianne de Tolentino from the Dominican Republic and the renowned art historian and  cuban curator Janet Batet from Miami to talk about the work and statement of the master Luis Cruz Azaceta. 

Marianne de Tolentino, current Director of the National Gallery of Fine Arts of Santo Domingo, explained his recent work, the permanent evolution of the artist and the direction of a work that is renewed through the break with his own past.

Janet Batet focused on the career of Cruz Azaceta, marking essential milestones in his artistic development and linking his career to the concept of trans-identity, something more than present throughout the Caribbean space. Based on the concepts of Sygmund Bauman: liquid modernity, liquid fear, precariat to imbricate it to the contemporary global society where, definitively, the proposal of Azaceta is inserted.

Marianne De Tolentino:

Originally from a family of artists, born French and Dominican because of her marriage to Dr. Mario Tolentino Dipp, Marianne Tolentino has spent her entire professional life in Santo Domingo, dedicating herself to education, culture and art.

As a cultural officer, she was Ambassador in charge of Cultural Affairs of the State Secretariat for Foreign Affairs, in charge of International Relations in the General Directorate of Fine Arts and the Museum of Modern Art.

She has been part of the Dominican Delegation in assemblies and international organizations: UNESCO, UN, OAS, European Union, Caribbean Regional Cultural Committee, Latin American Sculpture Seminar, Meeting of Cultural Operators, Havana Biennial, Sao Paulo Biennial, Carib’ Art, Caribbean Studies Seminar (University of Cartagena). He has offered numerous courses and art conferences.

She is currently in charge of the column of art and culture, “Creation” in the newspaper “Hoy”. Apart from hundreds of articles in the “Listín Diario”, she has collaborated with several art magazines and newspapers of Latin American countries, being today correspondent of the Colombian magazine “Art Nexus” and collaborator of “Arte al Día”. She has been director / editor of the cultural magazine “Cariforum”. She also is Commander of the Order of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella, the highest Dominican decoration.

In 2015, she received the National Corripio Foundation Award for the best articles on culture in the Media, and has just received recognition from the Chamber of Deputies as Woman relevant 2017.

She has been awarded by the Dominican Association of Art Critics as the best Art Critic in Media: years 2011, 2013, 2016.

Currently, she is the Director of the National Gallery of Fine Arts, a branch of the Ministry of Culture of the R.D.

She is the curator of the newly opened Fernando Peña Defillo Museum and a member of its patrimonial Foundation.

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Janet Batet (Havana, 1970)

Art historian, curator and essayist. Graduated from Art History at the University of Havana (1987-1092) and her Masters in New Media at the University UQAM, at Montreal (2002-2004).

Former researcher and curator of the Visual Arts Development Center (1992-1998), Havana, Cuba and Professor of the Higher Institute of Art, in the City of Havana.

Her research is oriented towards new technologies and contemporary art with special attention to Latin American and Caribbean artistic practices. Curator of Latin American Graphic. XX-XXI centuries. Member of the management team that laid the foundations of the Contemporary Cuban Art Salon, based in Havana. He also collaborated as a specialist in Caribbean Art for the 1st Montreal Biennial, with the CIAC (International Contemporary Art Center, Montreal). His writings on contemporary art are regularly published in prestigious periodicals such as Art Nexus, Art Daily, Art Pulse, Art Experience: NYC, The New Herald, Art District, Cuban Art, Cuban Art News, Themes, The Miami Rail, Knight Arts Miami, among others.

Among her curatorships there are:

-Golden Silence: Omar Barquet and José Ángel Vincench. Dotfiftyone Gallery,
Miami, 2017.
– Prophylactic life: Hamlet Lavastida. Dotfiftyone Gallery, Miami, 2015.
– Crossroads of Dystopia. Frost Art Museum, FIU, Miami, 2014
– Ramiro Lacayo Deshon: Conversations with Abstract Expressionism. The Americas Collection Gallery, Miami, 2014.
– The Silent Shout: Voices in Cuban Abstraction 1950-2013. (Janet curatorship
Batet, José Ángel Vincench and Rafael Diaz-Casas). Virginia Miller Gallery,
Miami, 2013-2014.
– Like lamb to the slaughterhouse. Photo Madrid, Madrid, 2012.
– 90 Miles: Living in the Vortex. Dotfiftyone Gallery, Miami, 2011.
– Central America: Civics and violence. (Curator Clara Astiasarán and Janet Batet) Feria Arteamericas, Miami Beach, 2011.
– Mario Bencomo: Utopie: If le Québec était a tropical country. Beaux-Arts des Amériques, Montréal, 2010.
– Re-collections: Carlos Betancourt. Moly College Art Gallery, New York, 2009.
– Art Encounters: Latin America. CCE, Miami, 2009.
– Rêveries. Art et Mémoire. Nuit Blanches, UQAM, 2003.
– Illumination. Art and religion Silver Spur Gallery, 1998
– Paintings of silence. Biennial of Havana-Acacia Gallery, Havana, 1996.
– Palimpsestos. Appointments and Appropriations. Havana Gallery, Havana, 1995.
– Vae Victis. Gallery Spur Silver, Havana, 1992.

Batet has contributed essays to numerous books and catalogs, highlighting among them, The Silent Shout: Voices in Cuban Abstraction 1950-2013 (Artspace / Virginia Miller Galleries, Miami, 2014), Antonia Eiriz: A Painter and Her Audience (MDC Museum of Art + Design, Miami Dade College, Miami, 2013); Wrinkles of the City. JR and José Parlá (Havana, Damiani / Standard Press, 2012); Disappointment. Luis Gispert (Ohwow Press, 2011); Liu Bolin (Galerie Paris-Beijing, 2011); Trans-Cuban Identity (VIII Encounter Cuban Research Institute, Florida International University, Miami, 2011); On Nature of men (III International Encounter of Art Critics. Wifredo Lam, Havana, 1997); Paintings of Silence (Galería La Acacia, 1995) and Palimpsestos: Appointments and Appropriations (Galería Habana, 1995).

Essays of his authorship have been included in the following art anthologies Cuban: We the most infidels: Critical narratives of Cuban art 1993-2005 (Andres Isaac Santana, editor, CENDEAC, 2006); Anthology of Critical Essays: The New Cuban Art (Magaly Espinosa and Kevin Power, editors; Perceval Press, Santa Monica, 2006) and Artists in Purgatory (Aldo Menendez, editor. The Cuban Art Alliance, 2017).

OPENING: “A QUESTION OF COLOR” BY LUIS CRUZ AZACETA