Fernando Botero’s birth in Medellín, Colombia has led to his mature style of portraiture. According to the artist himself he is “"the most Colombian of Colombian artists." His art reflects the turbulent times in his country when cartels in charge of the illegal drug trades sabotaged the economy and the people within this South American country. Because of his love for his homeland, Botero was emotionally connected to the ruthless war, in which cartels kidnapped or murdered government officials, politicians, law enforcement members, journalists, relatives of officials, or just innocent bystanders. Currently, Botero’s work about Abu Ghraib is also intended to raise awareness and reveal the horrors of prisoner torture and abuse in American prisons in Iraq. Botero’s portraiture reflects his desire to bring awareness on issues people would much rather ignore.
Botero’s childhood and adolescence in Colombia was a time in which his future artistic endeavors were greatly influenced. According to Botero, “The artist’s first twenty years have an enormous visual repercussion on the evolution of his work. It appears that nostalgia for certain moments of his life will come to the fore. One always paints what is best known, and it is rooted in childhood and adolescence. That is the world I paint. I have done nothing else. I have lived in the United States for many years and have never painted a North American subject. I have also spent time in France and Italy, and it has not occurred to me to paint a European landscape or subject” (Baroque, 23). Although Botero left Colombia in 1952 to travel, paint, and live in Europe, he still makes it clear that he is a Colombian artist. He traveled from Barcelona to Florence, Florence to Mexico, and Mexico to New York. Even though these environments influenced his style, he remained greatly influenced by his Colombian spirit.
When a viewer looks at Botero’s artwork the most distinct characteristic of his works is his use of large proportions. One may be puzzled and perplexed by this choice to distort sizes and shapes of subjects, making them appear less socially acceptable. According to Botero, “the purpose of my style is to exalt the volumes, not only because that enlarges the area in which I can apply more color, but also because it conveys the sensuality, the exuberance, the profusion of the form I am searching for.” These pudgy characters continue into his gruesome images creating a puzzling juxtaposition.
Although Botero was not living in Colombia at the time of the extreme drug guerilla warfare and political turmoil (mainly during the 1990’s and on), reports of the atrocities came from Botero’s family and friends that were back in his homeland. Botero’s connection (through his childhood and adolescence) to Colombia allowed him to translate his emotions in striking images that confront the viewer with the realities of a violent society. In his paintings, there is “no glorification or heroism but just brutal atrocities in the open air, executions that had nothing to do with justice…acts of violence only to impose terror and fear on innocent citizens who have to witness violent death as a frequent occurrence in daily life”
After looking at some of Botero’s gruesome images, one may ask: what would motivate an artist to capture such horrific scenes? As a Colombian artist, Botero recognizes that there are two sides, or faces, to his homeland—one is the beautiful friendly side, and the other is the terrible, ugly side of violence—both of which must be shown (4). According to Botero, “in view of the magnitude of drama that Colombia is experiencing, there came a moment that I felt a moral obligation to leave a testimony about such an irrational period of our history.” He also has said, “I believe that to do something for our country, you do not have to wait until things get better: instead, there is an urgent need to do something that might perhaps speed up the process of returning to normality….to make a gesture for your country, you should do it now, at this moment, when it most needs it.”
Botero’s current works are in response to 2003 revelations the U.S. guards mistreated Iraqi prisoners in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison outside of Baghdad (5). The set of works is entitled Abu Ghraib and contains numerous untitled gruesome and harsh images of man’s inhumanity to other men. These images, once again, provide the viewer with an inconvenient truth about man’s treatment of fellow men.
Botero’s artwork, especially his portraiture, made to reflect turbulent times in his homeland, speaks volumes about his character as an artist. Botero captured these gruesome images in order to stop the viewers in their tracks, and hit them with the harsh reality of either the warfare in Colombia or the torture in American prisons for Iraqis. Botero provides the viewers with an inconvenient truth in order to capture these times so people can learn from their mistakes and cause stop victimization of the innocent. (image above from: http://prisonphotography.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/fernando-botero.jpg)
Blog Questions (Answer as few or as many as you want)
1. What kind of emotions did you experience when looking at the some of Botero’s gruesome paintings? How did Botero’s juxtaposition between pudgy characters and gruesome images impact you? Do you think he painted these scenes for shock value or in order to record his country’s history?
2. Botero has said: “I am the most Colombian of Colombian artists.” Do you still think Botero is a Colombian artist even though he has not been back to Colombia since the 1960s? What does Botero’s decision to not sell any of the tragic images from his country tell you about his character?
3. What do Botero's paintings about the Abu Ghraib prison tell you about Botero's character? Also look up a news story about the torture in the Abu Ghraib prison and find one of Botero’s paintings that exhibits these heinous acts. After, give a summary of the article and your opinion on the artwork you selected.
