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:..Painter
and engraver mainly, Rafael Zarza has been defined as an art profaner.
The contamination he causes between graphic and pictorial stuffs
-litography allows him to do that-, until the appropriation and
manipulations of the iconography of diverse periods in art history,
prove that. In artist`s historical attempting, we can realize that
he drank from the Spanish Baroque and Critic Realism, European Expressionism,
North American Pop, among others. Humor resources, such as irony,
satire, sarcasm and parody, are also present in his work, telling
us about an intelligent and easygoing Zarza when he approaches erotism;
incisive and biting, when he reflects in a critical way, without
any prejudice, aspects of social-historical, political, and cultural
life, within the Cuban context or abroad. There is a bullfighting
culture in which Zarza frecuently, supports his work: ''cows, bulls,
oxes, bovino skeletons, bullfighters (...) a well-informed imagination'',
which provides him, figuratively, multiple simbolic possibilities.
Around 1965,
Rafael Zarza was linked to Taller de Gráfica de La Habana,
at the same time, he worked as designer at Consejo Nacional de Cultura,
collaborating also in this sphere with ICAIC and Casa de las Américas.
His first solo exhibition took place in 1972, in Caracas and so
far, he has participated in more than 300 national and international
exhibitions.
Along the decade
of 90, his work could be seen sometimes at 23 y 12 gallery (1992,
1994, 2001), at Espacio Aglutinador (1996) and at some exhibitions
related with Vl and Vll Biennial of Havana, etc. He has been revered
with different prizes, highlighting, Prize Portinari de Litografia,
Casa de las Américas (1968) and a prize conferred in Arte
en la Carretera Contest (1985).
His work takes
part of Contemporary Stamps and Collection Cabinet of National Fine
Arts Museum and from state collections in Germany, Finland, Venezuela
and Spain. We are talking about an artist united by different ties
with great creators, such as Umberto Peña, Santiago Armada
(Chago), Antonia Eiriz... Like them, he bears an open, brave, profound
and not always gladly- admitted work.
Carmen Paula Bermúdez. "Perverse" realism of Rafael Zarza.
The Paradoxical Unit. UNEAC Prize, 1999. Ediciones Unión, 2000.
Courtesy
of ARTECUBANO
Magazine.
Know more about this artist`s
life and work.
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