Invisible Presence: recent works by Yovani Bauta
Took place between June 7 – August 10, 2013
at the MDC Museum of Art + Design
Took place between June 7 – August 10, 2013
at the MDC Museum of Art + Design
Invisible Presence
was Yovani Bauta’s first solo exhibition at the MDC Museum of Art + Design. A
Cuban born, American Painter, Bauta’s artwork has manifested in many forms
including traditional painting, drawing and sculpture; as well as installation,
performance and interactive art. Spanning a career of over 25 years, Invisible
Presence is an exhibition of recent works, including a new interactive
installation, Head in the Bathroom, which explores levels of
privacy and false senses of security.
Miami-based
Artist Yovani Bauta's "Invisible Presence" Solo Exhibition at MDC
Museum of Art+Design
For more than 4 years, Cuban-born, Yovani
Bauta- one of the most important and representative Cuban artists in exile- has
been working on a series entitled “Los Desamparados” inspired by Miami’s
darkest shadow: the chronically homeless people usually forgotten whose
"invisible" presence continues to tarnish the city’s progressive
image.
His long-awaited solo show is finally set for next Friday, June 7th, 2013 at 6PM when an opening reception sponsored by City Social World, Bartenura Moscato, Capriccio on the River and Brugal Rum will formally inaugurate “Invisible Presence. Recent Works by Yovani Bauta” (On view through August 10th) at the MDC Museum of Art + Design, Freedom Tower.
According to the last assessment report to Congress published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2008, there were 671,888 homeless people across the nation. In Miami, the homeless population has dropped from about 6,000 to 835 in Miami-Dade County alone with 351 of whom still live scattered throughout Miami's Downtown streets, as reported three days ago by The Miami Herald.
Bauta is among a handful of U.S.-based artists that have carefully worked on this type of social projects. Artists such Minnesota-based Tammy deGruchy Grubbs, Maine-based Pat Apt, and Monterrey County-based multidisciplinary artist and journalist Kira Carrillo Corser, have all contributed exhibiting at the National Coalition for the Homeless "Church’s Bird Room Art Gallery" in Washington, DC.
Bauta was one of the first Miami-based artists to be featured in WHATSUPMIAMI-WUM on December 2010. WUM's editor Jesus Rojas Torres was greatly impressed and fascinated by Bauta’s vast experiential life, who at the young age of 13 was already painting his first naked model in art school taking evening lessons during two years before enrolling at the School of Visual Arts in Cuba.
“I learned the hard way, my teachers used wooden sticks and slapped our hands or arms with them to make a point; as a kid it was very easy to quickly move and fantasize on anything,” said Yovani Bauta, a former Miami-Dade College Portrait Painting Professor.
An artist with a career extending across a quarter century, Bauta also holds a degree in Law and was a practicing attorney for 6 years in Cuba, a period in which he did not touch a paintbrush completely disappointed about the conditions that were necessary in order to be accepted as an artist.
“Back then, almost every artist began to shoot and then paint large-size canvas, similar to Richard Estes’ work; not only it was the form adopted throughout the island, but also thematically in the sense that we had to praise the heroes of the Cuban revolution if we wanted to have any chance for exhibition opportunities,” said Bauta.
And Bauta had to paint several heroes, but there’s one of great significance the “Che Vencido” or “Che Vanquished” painted in the early 70‘s and acquired by a close friend of Che Guevara.
“Nobody has ever before attempted to paint a hero of the revolution defeated; I was lucky that a girlfriend of his bought it, so I was kind of safe,” said Bauta.
As a visual communicator and commentator of various social problems, Bauta paints for those who contemplate. His portraits are done in a wide variety of materials such as canvas or linen tackling themes relating to male and female bodies depicting their innermost feelings.
His ongoing social project leans toward the left. He takes the view of the elderly, homeless, disadvantaged and poor people depicting the helplessness on their faces and bodies.
Political in nature, Bauta’s work are iconic and direct. Art dealer and curator, Aldo Castillo has always been interested in promoting Bauta’s work, first at his gallery in Chicago and most recently, at his gallery in Estero, Florida.
“Most of Yovani Bauta's works are a combination of studied techniques with social commentaries on the deprived and the displaced; that makes his work important and difficult, nevertheless,” said Aldo Castillo.
Exploring the human resilience in the face of the daunting obstacles that confront the homeless, the elderly and the immigrants (Bauta’s latest series) "Invisible Presence" will present a total of 28 pieces, 15 oil on linen paintings and 13 drawings on paper.
In addition, Bauta will be showcasing an installation entitled “Head in the Bathroom” which explores levels of privacy and false senses of security.
“Installed throughout the museum’s bathrooms’ walls, it consists of photo-impression of my paintings which will look directly at the viewer instilling the feeling of insecurity, to be observed in the most private places,” he added.
Artist Talk: Thursday June 13th, 2013 at 6PM. Freedom Tower Museum, 600 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami. Free Parking at MC Parking Garage.
His long-awaited solo show is finally set for next Friday, June 7th, 2013 at 6PM when an opening reception sponsored by City Social World, Bartenura Moscato, Capriccio on the River and Brugal Rum will formally inaugurate “Invisible Presence. Recent Works by Yovani Bauta” (On view through August 10th) at the MDC Museum of Art + Design, Freedom Tower.
According to the last assessment report to Congress published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2008, there were 671,888 homeless people across the nation. In Miami, the homeless population has dropped from about 6,000 to 835 in Miami-Dade County alone with 351 of whom still live scattered throughout Miami's Downtown streets, as reported three days ago by The Miami Herald.
Bauta is among a handful of U.S.-based artists that have carefully worked on this type of social projects. Artists such Minnesota-based Tammy deGruchy Grubbs, Maine-based Pat Apt, and Monterrey County-based multidisciplinary artist and journalist Kira Carrillo Corser, have all contributed exhibiting at the National Coalition for the Homeless "Church’s Bird Room Art Gallery" in Washington, DC.
Bauta was one of the first Miami-based artists to be featured in WHATSUPMIAMI-WUM on December 2010. WUM's editor Jesus Rojas Torres was greatly impressed and fascinated by Bauta’s vast experiential life, who at the young age of 13 was already painting his first naked model in art school taking evening lessons during two years before enrolling at the School of Visual Arts in Cuba.
“I learned the hard way, my teachers used wooden sticks and slapped our hands or arms with them to make a point; as a kid it was very easy to quickly move and fantasize on anything,” said Yovani Bauta, a former Miami-Dade College Portrait Painting Professor.
An artist with a career extending across a quarter century, Bauta also holds a degree in Law and was a practicing attorney for 6 years in Cuba, a period in which he did not touch a paintbrush completely disappointed about the conditions that were necessary in order to be accepted as an artist.
“Back then, almost every artist began to shoot and then paint large-size canvas, similar to Richard Estes’ work; not only it was the form adopted throughout the island, but also thematically in the sense that we had to praise the heroes of the Cuban revolution if we wanted to have any chance for exhibition opportunities,” said Bauta.
And Bauta had to paint several heroes, but there’s one of great significance the “Che Vencido” or “Che Vanquished” painted in the early 70‘s and acquired by a close friend of Che Guevara.
“Nobody has ever before attempted to paint a hero of the revolution defeated; I was lucky that a girlfriend of his bought it, so I was kind of safe,” said Bauta.
As a visual communicator and commentator of various social problems, Bauta paints for those who contemplate. His portraits are done in a wide variety of materials such as canvas or linen tackling themes relating to male and female bodies depicting their innermost feelings.
His ongoing social project leans toward the left. He takes the view of the elderly, homeless, disadvantaged and poor people depicting the helplessness on their faces and bodies.
Political in nature, Bauta’s work are iconic and direct. Art dealer and curator, Aldo Castillo has always been interested in promoting Bauta’s work, first at his gallery in Chicago and most recently, at his gallery in Estero, Florida.
“Most of Yovani Bauta's works are a combination of studied techniques with social commentaries on the deprived and the displaced; that makes his work important and difficult, nevertheless,” said Aldo Castillo.
Exploring the human resilience in the face of the daunting obstacles that confront the homeless, the elderly and the immigrants (Bauta’s latest series) "Invisible Presence" will present a total of 28 pieces, 15 oil on linen paintings and 13 drawings on paper.
In addition, Bauta will be showcasing an installation entitled “Head in the Bathroom” which explores levels of privacy and false senses of security.
“Installed throughout the museum’s bathrooms’ walls, it consists of photo-impression of my paintings which will look directly at the viewer instilling the feeling of insecurity, to be observed in the most private places,” he added.
Artist Talk: Thursday June 13th, 2013 at 6PM. Freedom Tower Museum, 600 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami. Free Parking at MC Parking Garage.
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