I arrived at the Hermanos Saíz Association under one of the May downpours that rained down on the city of Pinar del Rio. My mind was busy with many things, weakened by an intense day.
Then, I noticed the exhibition “Resplendent Bodies” that has been open to the public for a few weeks in the institution’s gallery room.
I experienced a bath of renewal to the senses, and not because May had rained on me, but because art undoubtedly soothes the tired spirit.
The true visual appeal of the exhibition does not lie in the format selected, nor in the approach to the female nude. It lives in the workmanship of the canvases: in the rigorous “naturalism” of the image.
Víctor Manuel Guerra Arteaga, the artist, does not particularize the background of the compositions (in most of the canvases), only the bodies in poses, which refers the unconscious to the studies carried out in art academies. But this is the artist’s intention.
In addition to the invoice, I want to highlight two elements. The first is the expression of the characters’ hands. No position is repeated and each one is a work of art in itself. They have their own voice and provide the symbolic component, which at first glance seems to be missing.
The second is the defense of the portrait. A (somewhat) depressed theme within contemporary art, to which the artist has dedicated four of the ten canvases exhibited. On this occasion, the portraits reveal the personality of the protagonists and pique the viewer’s curiosity.
As a result, “Resplendent Bodies” relieved my exhaustion. I no longer cared how soaked I was. I had a good time in front of the images, admiring their tones, shadows, and lights.
Yanetsy Ariste: art critic, writer and journalist.
May 2018.
