José García Cordero
In 1977, Garcia Cordero moved to Paris to live and work, but he continues to regularly visit the Dominican Republic. In Europe, he studied the masters such as Francisco Goya, Peter Brueghle, Hieronymous Bosch, Rene Magritte and Francis Bacon, developing his visual vocabulary charged with a sociopolitical commentary.
Through the use of metaphor in his art, Garcia Cordero represents the social political issues relevant to the Caribbean Island countries. He often depicts the uninhabited and deserted region of Montecristo in the Dominican Republic located close to the border of Haiti. This region is a very hot and arid zone which dramatically contrasts with the commonly idealized images of the lush Caribbean islands filled with tropical beaches and swaying palm trees. Cordero’s paintings of the deserted region are filled with depictions of clay flowerpots adorned with false or ironic smiling human mouths. They function as a metaphor for the difficult economic and social situation of the country. Cordero is well know for his criticism of the local government and their neglect of the environment and their oppression of the people’s economic opportunities.
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