Online Reading Session # 13: Francine Birbragher-Rozencwaig “Essays on 20th Century Latin American Art”
17 November 2022, 18:00 h (GMT +1) via Zoom
Invited guest: Francine Birbragher-Rozencwaig, PhD
In this session, we will discuss a selection of essays on Central American and Caribbean art, art and politics in the 1960s and 1980s, and the carnival in Latin America.
Abstract of the publication:
“Essays on 20th Century Latin American Art” (New York, NY: Routledge, 2022) provides a broad synthesis of the subject through short chapters illustrated with reproductions of iconic works by artists who have made significant contributions to art and society. Designed as a teaching tool for non-art historians, the book's purpose is to introduce these important artists within a new scholarly context and recognize their accomplishments with those of others beyond the Americas and the Caribbean. The publication provides an in-depth analysis of topics such as political issues in Latin American art and art and popular culture, introducing views on artists and art-related issues that have rarely been addressed. Organized both regionally and thematically, it takes a unique approach to the exploration of art in the Americas, beginning with discussions of Modernism and Abstraction, followed by a chapter on art and politics from the 1960s to the 1980s. The author covers Spanish-speaking Central America and the Caribbean, regions not usually addressed in Latin American art history surveys. The chapter on Carnival as an expression of popular culture is a particularly valuable addition. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of Latin American history, culture, art, international relations, gender studies, and sociology, as well as Caribbean studies.
Biography of the author:
FRANCINE BIRBRAGHER-ROZENCWAIG is an art historian, independent curator, and writer. She holds a master's degree in art history and a doctorate in Latin American history from the University of Miami. She is an editor and contributor to ArtNexus magazine. Since 1989 she has been writing about contemporary art with an emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean. As an independent curator, she has organized more than one hundred exhibitions in the United States and Latin America. She is the author of Essays on Latin American Art of the 20th Century (Routledge, 2022). She currently works on projects that question the limits between "high art" and "popular art," analyze gender and sexual identity issues, and suggest new historical readings from artistic expressions. She is co-curator with Juan Canela of the 23rd edition of the Bienal de Arte Paiz, which will take place in Guatemala in 2023.
The session will be held in English.
Limited number of spaces available. Registrations are free of charge and available via Eventbrite.
Coordination and moderation: Katerina Valdivia Bruch