Beyond the Fantastic: Contemporary Art Criticism from Latin America
This is a book to be judged by its cover, which boldly presents an outline of South America, its southern tip at the top of the page. This reversal of the cartographic convention is a demand for a new critical viewpoint on contemporary Latin American art. The writing asks us to go beyond the easy view of Latin American artists as creators of a colorful stew of magic realism. The 22 essays by Latin American art critics, most originally written in Spanish or Portuguese, examine feminism, multiculturalism, folk art, religious kitsch, governmental repression, and cultural identity. Although the focus of the book is on Spanish-speaking South and Central America, there are also discussions of Brazil, the Caribbean, and the Spanish-speaking communities of the United States. Yet these essays are by no means parochial examinations of purely local art; they are exceedingly well-written statements of universal interest written from the unique perspective of Latin America. Unfortunately, an appetite sharpened by the quality of the writing is not satisfied by the few illustrations, a loss for readers unfamiliar with the vast range of Latin American art. Recommended for all collections on contemporary art.?David McClelland, PhiladelphiaCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.