Juan T. Vazquez Martin

The Artist

Juan T. Vázquez Martín, abstract painter that was born on December 23, 1941 in Caibarién, Cuba.

A Cuban painter who lives and works in Havana.

Member of the Writer and Artists Union of Cuba (UNEAC). Member of International Association of Art (AIAP).

Vazquez Martin was elected President and Vice-President of the Painting section of the Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) several times, in recognition of ‘his valour in defending contemporary painting in Cuba’, an office he held from 1989 to 1998.

This painter is consider among the Cuban abstract painters masters. His work is held in a number of prestigious collections of national and international institutions including UNESCO International Association of Art (AIAP) in Paris, the Spanish Office of the European Economic Community, New York and the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana, Cuba.

Biography

By University of Oxford researcher, Josephine Reynell

Juan T. Vazquez Martin is a master of abstract art and is considered to be one of Cuba’s leading abstract painters. Through dedication to artistic freedom he has played a seminal role in keeping abstract art alive in Cuba. The Grey Period or El Quinquenio Gris, between 1970-1976, seriously undermined abstract art and indeed experimentation in all areas of the arts in Cuba. Art was seen as a useful propaganda tool and whilst no artist was forbidden to work in a certain way, only those artists whose work conformed to what was considered acceptable were supported. Many artists left the country. Juan T. Vazquez Martin’s refusal to leave Cuba and his steadfast commitment to his personal artistic vision exacted a heavy economic and personal cost, losing him official patronage and promotion. His courageous maintenance of his artistic vision in the face of real hardship has nevertheless enabled him to develop a unique style of painting which now has had a profound influence on the new generation of young Cuban artists.

He has been Director of a number of Schools of Visual Arts in Cuba and has taught various well known Cuban artists including Flora Fong (exhibited in London 2007), Gabriel Gutierrez, Nasario Salazar, Oscar Rodriguez Laseria and Joel Jover.

At the age of 16 he won a prestigious and highly competitive scholarship to the Academia Leopoldo Romañach in Santa Clara, renowned as the most progressive art school in Cuba at that time. His art has been influenced by his close friendship with the renowned Cuban painters Hugo Consuega and Tapia Ruano, but over the years he has developed his own and unique style of painting.

Critics

The Cuban painter and critic Manuel López Oliva writes:

'Whoever looks at the modern paintings by Juan Vazquez Martin, can recognise in his way of painting the renaissance concept of "the window", the dissolution of forms discovered by Kandinsky and the sense of textural beauty opened up within contemporary painting by the ‘matiere’ artists. His style mixes skillfully the organic with geometry, order and dissonance, precise vision with suggestion. It is a language by itself, syncretic, and carrying a strong, delightful current that is felt when dealing with the implicit possibilities of working with the materials, instruments and procedures of the craft. It is, precisely, the key to his paintings.'

Critique by Cristina Burke-Trees, Gallery Terracina director, England

"Juan T. Vazquez Martin is an artists Artist. His paintings are unquestionably of exquisite high standard, very beautiful and complete. As we say here in England, he is an artists Artist. This means in general, that only people that are used to look at art and are reasonably well educated understand the depth of his skill and complexity of his work. "

Gallery TerracinaHaven Banks, Canal Basin,Exeter EX2

http://www.artterracina.co.uk/Welcome.html

Charges and Formation

* 1963-1977 Founder, director and professor in different schools of Fine Arts.
* 1989-1998 Several times Painting section President or Vice-President in the Visual Arts Association of Writers and Artists Union of Cuba (UNEAC).
* In 1957 he was granted a scholarship to study Visual Arts. In 1962, he was invited to participate in the São Paulo, VI Biennial, Brazil. In 1963 he graduated as a teacher of Drawing and Painting, and in 1990 as a specialist in Silk Screen.

= Personal exhibitions (resume) =
* 2005 Returning home, Caibarien gallery, Cuba
* 2005 ‘Abstractions in Havana Centre’, homage exhibition to Vazquez Martin by Culture Havana Centre, Chine Tradition House, Havana City, Cuba
* 2004 Exhibition in Mazorca, Mexico City, México
* 2004- Three ways of Abstraction, Art Plastic provincial council Gallery, Santa Clara, Cuba
* 2000 “Show in Blue”, Nelson Museum, Monmouth, Wales, Great Britain.

Collective exhibitions (resume)

* 2008- 'The book of lost things', Gallery Terracina, Exeter, Devon, UK.
* 2007- Cinco pintores abstractos, Villa Manuela gallery, Havana, Cuba.
* 2006-2007- His paintings have been exhibit at Gallery Terracina, Exeter, England.
* 2006- Un son para Nicolas, Villa Manuela gallery, Havana, Cuba.
* 2004- Exhibition of Cuban and Mexican artists, Cuban embassy, Mexico.
* 2004- Abstraction Masters in Cuba, La Acacia Gallery, Ciudad Habana, Cuba
* 2003- Alive abstraction, VIII Bienal de la Habana, Galeria en el CENCREM, Habana Vieja, Cuba
* 2003 “Cuban Painters”, Cuban Festival, London Hilton on Park Lane.
* 2003 and 2002 “Cuban Contemporary Painting”, La Acacia gallery, Havana City, Cuba.
* 2002 'Cuban Paintings', Hilton Hotel of Park Lane, London.
* 2002 'Cuban Paintings', Southampton University.
* 2002 Collective exhibition in Trail Artists Colony, Tampa, Florida, USA.
* 2001 "Cuban Painting", Cuba 513 Gallery, Madrid, Spain.
* 2001 "Cuban Painting", several galleries, Italy.
* 2000 England Exhibitions at: Taurus Craft, Lydney, , Parkfield Gallery, Pontshill, Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, Artists Corner, Chepstow, Gloucestershire.
*
* 1999 “Cuban Painting Today”, Museum Josefina Gallery, Managua, Nicaragua.
* 1999 “Alive Abstraction”, Wifredo Lam Centre, Havana, Cuba.
* 1997 Silence Paintings, VI Biennial of Havana, La Acacia Gallery, Havana, Cuba
* 1995 “Cuban Painters”, Social Development Summit and Head of States Meeting, Copenhague, Denmark.
* 1995 “Cuban Art”, Barcelona and Madrid, and in Sun Door Fair, Madrid, Spain.
* 1994 “A vision of Cuban Painting today”, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
* 1993 “Madrid House Fair”, Barcelona, Spain.
* 1992 Cuban stand of the World’s Fair, in Seville, Spain.
* 1990 “Cuban Painting Today”, Duris de Samos Gallery, Madrid, Spain.
*
* 1989 Contemporary Cuban Art, Westbeth Gallery, New York, USA.
* 1988 “Cuban Painting Exhibition”, travelling exhibition for different cities of Spain.
* 1987 I Biennial of Painting “Jaume Guash Foundation”, Barcelona, Spain.
* 1986 VI Triennial of India, (New Delhi,).
* 1985 He participated in International Prize for Drawing Joan Miró, Barcelona, Spain.
* 1984, 1986 VII and VIII Biennial, Kosice, Czechoslovakia.
*
* 1976 Modern Cuban Painting, La Tertulia Museum, Cali, Colombia.
* 1972 “Chile-Cuba”, Culture Institute. Santiago de Chile.
* 1970, 1971 “The IX International Prize for Drawing Joan Miró”, Barcelona, Spain.
* 1970, ‘70 Salon’, Fine Art National Museum, Havana City, Cuba.

Prizes and Mentions

* 1997 First Prize,”WineArt 97” Competition, label for the first grape Cuban wine, Fantinel S.A. and W.S.D Italian Companies, Havana, Cuba.
* 1988 First Prize and Especial Prize, “July 26” Competition, Revolution’s Museum, Havana, Cuba.
* 1987 Especial Prize of Painting, I Biennial “Jaume Guash”, Spain.
* 1986 “13 March” First Prize of Drawing, Havana University, Havana, Cuba.
* 1976 First Prize of Painting,, National Salon de Plastics Art, Ministry of Culture, Matanzas Gallery, Matanzas, Cuba.
* 1970 Painting Acquisition Prize, “Salon 70’ of Plastic Art”, Fine Art National Museum, Havana, Cuba.
* 1969 Drawing Prize, National Salon of Plastics Art, U.N.E.A.C., San Rafael International Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
* 1968 Painting Prize, National Salon U.N.E.A.C of Plastic Art., National Museum de Fine Art, Havana, Cuba.
* 1965 First Prize of Painting, Province Salon “ 26 de Julio”, Santa Clara City, Las Villas, Cuba.

Principal Collections that exhibit or store his works:

* _National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
* _ "La Acacia" Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
* _ National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC).
* _ UNESCO Collection, Paris, France.
* _ Spain Office of the European Economic Community, New York, USA.
* _ Latin-American Art Collection of the Essex University, UECLAA, England.
* _Gallery Terracina, Exeter, England
* _Also, his paintings are in different national and international institutions, as in private collections in Cuba and abroad.

Current Events

* [http://www.myspace.com/cubanartists Paintings at Gallery Terracina, England.]

See also

* Cuban art
* Alberto Corrales One of the best Cuban flute players

External links

* [http://www.culturebase.net/artist.php?494 The unique sensual trace of Juan T. Vazquez Martin]
* [http://www.myspace.com/cubanartists Juan T. Vazquez Martin slide show]
* [http://www.ueclaa.org/ueclaaOnline/ArtworksList.jsp?letter=V&ArtistID=6950&firstname=Juan%20Teódulo&surname=Vázquez%20Martín&dob=1941&dod=&from=simple UECLAA, Collection of Latin American Art, Essex University]
* [http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieves_Rodríguez_Gómez Nieves Rodríguez Gómez, poetisa cubana]