The Artwork of Fernando Botero - Essay Example

FERNANDO BOTERO Fernando Botero Fernando Botero was born in 1932 in Medellin, Colombia. At the age of 12, he trained as a bullfighter. However, at 15, he was employed as an illustrator by El Colombiano, a leading newspaper in Medellin. Because his illustrations and writings featured nudity and Marxist ideas, Botero was expelled from school. At the age of 19, Botero went to Bogota, where started his exhibition. After a year, he travelled to Europe to study art in Spain and Italy. His artwork was largely unaccepted in Colombia. Nevertheless, Botero managed to make enough money to finance his education in Europe. After finishing his studies, Botero moved to New York. It was at this point that he perfected his voluptuous style that inspired the ‘Boterismo’ artistic trend. Botero’s works feature landscapes and still-lives, but he also focuses on situational portraiture. In the 1970s, he temporarily left painting in order to concentrate on sculptures. In the early 1960s, Botero developed a distinct style in his artwork, which he subsequently used throughout his career. He would represent objects including humans in inflated round forms, often an exaggeration of their usual sizes. For instance, all the people illustrated in his paintings and sculptures appear obese. However, the technique has nothing to do with fatness or obesity. The distinctive style is considered mockery on the roles of the objects in the world. Indeed his paintings are intended to be humorous; they criticize social and political issues. In some cases, his paintings ridicule the power and authority of presidents, soldiers, and the clergy. Apart from ridicule, Botero’s works reveal sensuality. Botero uses the female model in various ways; some of his paintings depict female nudes, a representation of intimacy and carnal pleasure. The technique is a clear indication of his ability to paint flesh. By linking images with human emotions, Botero emphasizes moral issues and irony. Major Themes 1. Latin America One of the major themes in Botero’s work is Latin America. According to him, art can only have authenticity and character if it is entrenched in the creator’s land and culture. By pursuing Latin America as a theme, Botero managed to overcome what used to be fashionable in 1960s. Thus, he interpreted his individual reality and portrayed it as a valid subject matter. Through his work, Botero has managed to create a personal interpretation of Latin America. Although he mostly works outside Latin America, his paintings are dominated by South American features. For instance, he paints food and other delicacies typical to his native Colombia. In his Mona Lisa, he replaces the Italian background with erupting volcanoes, a distinctive feature of South America. Botero also features religion in his work. During his time, the Catholic Church was a distinctive feature of Latin America. It had massive influence in the lives of people throughout the region. Indeed it practically dominated everything in South America. For example, it was active and powerful in the society, politics, culture, and even people’s private lives. Thus, by featuring religion in his work, Botero reveals his Latin American identity. In addition to religion, Botero features politics in his works. Many countries in the region have encountered both civilian and military rule. Through his works, Botero satirizes Latin American politics that are characterized by military coups and human rights abuses. Thus, by featuring the distinct politics of the region, Botero discloses his ties with Latin America. 2. Bullfighting Bullfighting became Botero’s second major theme in his painting career. Although he had ignored the subject matter, he made a dramatic return that provided him with inexhaustible content to illustrate. His focus was mainly on the bullfighting that is considered bad, perhaps a portrayal of his hatred towards inaccuracy. However, the paintings could still be interpreted as a representation of his ideas about reality. To him, what matters is not the faultless illustration of reality, but the creation of the artist’s aesthetic. 3. Violence Violence is also a characteristic feature of some of Botero’s works. Botero has produced two major series of paintings featuring violence. The first series features his native Colombia. Through this series, Botero chose to expose Colombia’s bloody history in some of his paintings. Throughout the twentieth century, Colombia’s politics was dominated by military coups and bloodshed. The subject matter inspired Botero. His purpose of focusing on violence was to reveal what was happening. However, he did not have the intention of changing the situation in his country. The second major series of Botero’s work featuring violence is Abu Ghraib, his impression of Iraqi detainees in the hands of U.S. forces. Botero was inspired by the 2004 revelations of torture of Iraqi detainees in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. He obtained most of his information from newspapers. Some of the paintings depict naked men with their hands or legs suspended from the roofs of the cells. Others depict blindfolded detainees with blood-stained clothes, an indication of torture. Although Botero’s paintings are easily identifiable from his distinctive inflated shapes, the Abu Ghraib series lacks the usual satire. Botero possible excluded humor from the series as a sign of respect for the victims. 4. The Circus Botero’s attraction to the circus was inspired by his visit to Zihuatanejo, Mexico. After watching the performance of a small circus, Botero thought of making it a theme in his paintings. He subsequently developed and incorporated the subject matter in his works. The theme provides a new interpretation of Botero’s large objects. For instance, in one of the paintings, he illustrates an obese woman, a shift from his previous fat figures. Because the painting is so different from all his previous work, one can conclude that Botero’s work is about volume and has nothing to do with physical fitness. 5. Portraits Apart from abstract works, Botero concentrated on producing the portraits of popular people including the members of his family. Since portraits require the reproduction of images resembling real people, the subject matter must have been challenging for Botero because of his style of inflating objects. Nonetheless, Botero managed to produce the portraits of popular people in Colombia such as Manuel Marulanda and Pablo Escobar. He also painted the portraits of Mother Teresa, Francisco Franco, and Adolf Hitler. In addition, he has produced the portraits of popular artists such as Cézanne, Courbet, Delacroix, Giacometti, Matisse, Picasso, Rubens, and Velázquez. 6. Europe Europe is one of the recurring themes in Botero’s paintings. He provides a personal interpretation of the continent, which probably differs from that of a native European. Some of his paintings represent his tribute to great artists such as Cézanne, Matisse, and Albrecht Durer. Although the subject matter might differ by country, the content remains Botero’s portrayal of the continent. For instance, his 1968 Louis XVI with His Family in Prison is a representation of the executed French king with his grief-stricken family in the Temple tower. Marie Antoinette, produced in 1968, resembles Elisabeth Louise Lebrun’s portraits of the queen. Major Works Mona Lisa Age 12 In 1960s, Botero painted Mona Lisa Age 12, which was an altered copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s popular painting. Although Botero had no intentions of reproducing Leonardo’s work, the painting initially showed close similarities with the real Mona Lisa. As a matter of fact, Botero wanted to paint a 12-year Colombian girl. However, the similarities inspired him to change his original plans. Thus, Botero modified the work to bring out a younger Mona Lisa. Indeed the painting portrays Mona Lisa in her childhood. In the painting, the features of the original work can be recognized easily. However, the work is much different from Leonardo’s painting. For instance, it has its distinctive large size, a distortion of reality. Reclining Priest The Reclining Priest, painted in 1977, is Botero’s criticism of the clergy. The painting depicts a priest lying on the ground and wearing oversize shoes. The work is possibly Botero’s denunciation of materialism and resistance to change among the clergy. Botero’s accusations possibly stem from the way some priests in his native Colombia were inclined towards the physical world. The priest’s massive shoes and feet can be likened to persons whose souls have no wings. Such people are static in their lives; they hardly move away from their positions. Definitely, the heavy shoes and large feet emphasize materialism. On the other hand, the lying on the ground suggests resistance to change. Man with Dog Man with Dog is one of Fernando Botero’s 1989 paintings. The theme in the painting is undeniably Latin America. In the canvas, Botero used the colors of Colombia’s flag to reveal his South American identity. For instance, green and yellow colors dominate the canvas. Indeed, the man’s clothes in the image imitate the colors of Colombia’s flag. The man also stands in a patio that is unique to Colombian towns. Ruben and His Wife Ruben and His Wife, produced in 1965, originated from Botero’s obsession with Peter Paul Rubens. Indeed, most of Botero’s work is comparable to Ruben’s; they have decorative similarities. For instance, they use inflated shapes that appear sacred and irreligious. Both artists also portray the world around them from material and spiritual perspectives. Thus, Botero must have identified himself with Ruben, and in the process produced Ruben and His Wife as his tribute to the artist. Like Botero’s other works, the people in Ruben and His Wife are inflated. They also appear as if they had intentionally posed for a photo, an indication of Botero’s portrait theme. The Presidential Family The Presidential Family is one of Botero’s works featuring the European theme. Botero was possibly influenced by earlier paintings of Spanish courts when he came up with The Presidential Family. He used them to criticize Latin American politics, characterized by military coups and heavy government handedness. In the portrait, there is an erupting volcano at the background, a symbolic feature of South America. There is also a serpent right under the feet of the people on the foreground. The serpent possibly represents government evil perpetrated by the presidential family. In addition, Botero includes himself in the background with his canvas, an indication that he is watching what is happening in the world. Abu Ghraib 72 The painting is one of Botero’s series featuring Iraqi prisoners. Botero uses it to portray his theme of violence. Abu Ghraib 72 depicts a naked detainee kneeling on the floor with his hands tied at the back. He is also blindfolded. In addition, the man’s feet are tied together. The background, which is painted dark, consists of metal bars. Perhaps it signifies little or no hope for the victim. There are bloodstains on the man’s face, back, thigh, and chest, an indication of torture, injuries, and physical pain. The man is unmistakably a Muslim because of his beard. Unlike other paintings, Abu Ghraib 72 does not show humor. It is possibly Botero’s respect for the victims of torture that made him exclude humor in the painting. It is also an indication of the artist’s sensitivity to culture. Trainer with Baby Lions Trainer with Baby Lions is one of Botero’s circus series. It consists of an inflated man surrounded by lions. There is also an adult lion in a cage. The canvas consists of Botero’s favorites: green, red, and yellow. Indeed, the man’s clothes are a modification of Colombia’s flag. Surprisingly, all the lions in the canvas are smiling. Perhaps it is an indication of Botero’s happiness and love of the circus. Actually, Botero liked the circus when he was young. By revisiting the theme in his paintings, Botero is interested in revealing his happiness with the subject matter. Bibliography Botero, Juan Carlos. “The Art of Fernando Botero.” University of California Berkeley. Last modified May 2012. http://clas.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/shared/docs/papers/Botero.pdf. Chahin, Angie. “Fernando Botero.” Georgetown College. Last modified April 9, 2007. http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/art/files/2011/06/ArtMatters01b1.pdf. “Fernando Botero and Abu Ghraib: “I could not stay silent”.” Revolution. Last modified February 11, 2007. http://revcom.us/a/078/botero-en.html. “Fernando Botero, Colombian (1932 - ).” RoGallery. Accessed November 6, 2014. http://rogallery.com/Botero/botero-bio.htm. “Fernando Botero relives boyhood love of circus in new book.” Today’s Zaman. Last modified November 8, 2013. http://www.todayszaman.com/arts-culture_fernando-botero-relives-boyhood-love-of-circus-in-new-book_330915.html. Harris, Judith. “Botero in the Big Top.” Artnews. Last modified February 18, 2014. http://www.artnews.com/2014/02/18/botero-in-the-big-top/. “Latin American and Caribbean Modern and Contemporary Art.” Museum of Modern Art. Accessed November 6, 2014. http://www.moma.org/moma_learning/docs/LAA_Full.pdf. “The Big Fat Art of Fernando Botero.” Discovering Latin America. Accessed November 6, 2014. http://www.discoveringlatinamerica.com/fernando-botero.html. Steiner, Laura. “Fernando Botero: Colombian Artist Turns 80 and Has No Plans to Retire.” Huffington Post. Last modified April 19, 2012. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/19/fernando-botero-turns-80_n_1435609.html. “Why Botero’s Satire on Conformist Clergy Takes the Ultimate Form of Ontological Criticism?” Acting Politics. Last modified February 2012. http://www.actingoutpolitics.com/fernando-botero%E2%80%99s-paintings-of-the-clergy/. Read More