She is sensually lying on her side on a low rectangular slab. Smooth hips, winged fingertips, and dimpled chin rising toward the glow of a desert sky.
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Voluptuous.
Spiked saguaros and sun-drenched peach mountains welcome you to your new home.
His dark bronze skin drips.
Anyone standing in the space she now occupies in Arizona can see that she lives far from the Colombian heaven that first dreamed of her.
She is an ancient metal mermaid sunbathing inside the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.
Among the more than 20 works of art that will be exhibited at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, two monumental sculptures stand out. Among the more than 20 works of art that will be exhibited at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, two monumental sculptures stand out. Credit: Desert Botanical Garden
You can join her among other succulents.
Fernando Botero baptized her “Reclining Woman” in 2007. A goddess under the relentless Arizona sun. It’s easy to think she could have chosen another name. It is easier to think that she lived long before the beginning of Botero or any era linked to humanity.
For months, people who love Botero and his creations worked to bring his art to Arizona. No one expected that Botero would die three weeks before the enormous exhibition in the desert garden opened.
His creations live in the artistic exhibition “Fernando Botero: El Maestro” among thousands of species of cacti, trees and flowers.
For Colombians, Botero remains one of the greatest representatives of their culture. He is a national pride and one of the most influential Latin American artists of recent times.
Linda Escorcia Norquist is on the board of directors of the Desert Botanical Garden and sees the Botero exhibition as a distinction for her Colombian people in the United States.
“As a Colombian, it is an honor that someone of that size comes to Arizona,” Linda told Arizona Luminaria. “They can see the culture of the country,”
The exhibition is an opportunity for the American community to learn more about Colombian art, history and culture.
Most of the pieces “portray the Colombian customs, about the typical Colombian family, the coffee plantations, the banana plantations,” said Linda.
The Escorcia family, Linda’s parents and sister, in their beloved Colombia. The Escorcia family, Linda’s parents and sister, in their beloved Colombia.
‘Proud of our heritage, our roots’
Born in Bogotá, Linda decided to emigrate to Arizona more than 20 years ago so she could marry her fiancé, a young American named Tyler Norquist. They now have two children, Devin Rodolfo and Allison. But Linda’s parents and her sister had to emigrate for safety.
His mother was a judge in Colombia. Linda says her mother was kidnapped for nine months by the Colombian guerrilla group known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). In 2004, her mother requested political asylum in the United States to protect her life and that of her family.
Then came a process of adaptation of the Colombian family. They learned to live away from their culture, although they never stopped missing their people and their native home.
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“We Colombians are very proud of our heritage, our roots,” said Linda. “We are forward-thinking, we like to work, dance, have many friends. A Colombian can have everything against him but he never lets himself fall,” said Linda.
Event information
“Fernando Botero: The Master” It will be on display until March 31, 2024 at the Desert Botanical Garden.
The Colombian population in Arizona is among the fastest growing Latino groups. From 2000 to 2021, there has been an increase of 11,998 Colombians in the state, according to US Census data highlighted in a report “DATA 2023” of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
That’s 492.3% more Colombians than in 2000, when the population was 2,437.
There are now an estimated 14,435 Colombians living in Arizona. Still, Linda feels the absence of her people’s presence in the state.
“I don’t feel like Colombian culture is represented here, there is only one Colombian store and few restaurants,” he said.
She works to keep her Colombian traditions rooted in Arizona.
“We are party people, but we are more into partying at home,” he said. “We celebrate our independence on July 20, the Battle of Boyacá on August 7, the Barranquilla Carnival in February and we venerate the Virgin of Chiquinquirá and the Divine Child in Colombia.”
Boterismo
Botero’s exhibition is an opportunity to unite Colombians in Arizona.
“Personally I hope the Colombian community goes and visits the collection that is a national pride for us, I hope they take advantage,” Linda said, raising her voice as she gushed about Botero.
Making Botero’s exhibition in the Botanical Garden possible was a monumental work that was carried out with the support of the Museum of Latin American Art, MOLAA, en Long Beach.
“The works of art in the exhibition were generously loaned by the Botero family, the Museum of Latin American Art and several private art collectors,” said Laura Spalding Best, director of exhibitions at the Desert Botanical Garden in an email to Arizona Luminaria. .“Each work of art in this exhibition is an incredible example of the master’s ‘Boterismo’ style.”
Some of these famous and outstanding works shine in the garden:
“Reclining Woman”
“Matador”
“Guitar player”
“Family on the plantation”
“Fernando Botero: The Master” will be exhibited at the Desert Botanical Garden from October 7 to March 31, 2024. Credit: MOLAA Yubo Dong
Botero’s voluptuous figures revolutionized modern art by challenging volume and space.
While blunt and seemingly uncontroversial depictions of everyday life were strong themes in Botero’s work, he never shied away from representing politics through a creative eye.
One of his most famous paintings, “The Death of Pablo Escobar,” embodies the violence in the country by documenting the death of the bloodthirsty drug trafficker. In the 1999 painting, Escobar holds his hands before him as he is sprayed with bullets on a Medellín rooftop.
Botero’s political illustrations were not limited to Colombia. In 2007, he described the torture of Iraqi prisoners by Americans at the Abu Ghraib detention center. In 2007, Botero answered questions about the famous series of 87 drawings and paintings. “Un-American it is not. Anti-brutality, anti-inhumanity, yes,” he told SFGATE publication.
A tribute to the desert
Now his creations arrive for the first time in the Arizona desert for those who wish to learn more about the iconic Colombian artist.
“The life and work of Fernando Botero are synonymous with Latin American art and culture,” said Spalding Best. “This exhibition pays tribute to Botero and the Latino community, establishing him as one of the most beloved and significant artists of his time.”
His peculiar style, both in cherubic painting and volumetric sculptures, led Botero, who was born in one of the most humble neighborhoods of Medellín, to be recognized internationally for his characteristic style known as “Boterismo.”
“My style comes from the conviction that the voluptuousness of the form is a source of joy. And art should give pleasure,” Botero said in 2018 for an interview with Vanity Fair magazine.
His death on September 15 sparked global mourning. He was 91 years old. He died in Monaco, Europe.
“Fernando Botero: The Maestro” will be exhibited at the Desert Botanical Garden from October 7 to March 31, 2024. Credit: MOLAA Yubo Dong
“The entire exhibition acts as a tribute to the artist’s life and legacy,” Spalding Best said.
Ken Schutz, executive director of the Botanical Garden, said in a press release that he is delighted to bring Botero’s first major exhibition to Arizona.
“The Garden’s art exhibits have become a vibrant and compelling source of pride,” Schutz said.
Botero’s artwork can be found in more than 200 museums around the world, from Singapore to the New York Botanical Garden, according to the museum’s website. Desert Botanical Garden in Arizona.
Among the more than 20 works of art that will be exhibited in the desert botanical garden, two monumental sculptures stand out.
“We are excited to work with the Botanical Garden to provide a unique and immersive experience that celebrates Botero’s indelible contributions to the field of Latin American art,” said Lourdes Ramos-Rivas through a press release. Ramos-Rivas is a doctor in philosophy of art and executive president of OPEN.
“We couldn’t be more delighted to display his work of art surrounded by the spectacular beauty of the Sonoran Desert,” he said.
Colombians Linda Escorcia Norquist and Adriana Murrieta were part of the marketing committee to promote Fernando Botero’s exhibition in Phoenix. Colombians Linda Escorcia Norquist and Adriana Murrieta were part of the marketing committee to promote Fernando Botero’s exhibition in Phoenix. Credit: Linda Escorcia Norquist
Botero is no longer in this world.
His art prevails.
In the desert garden, the reclining bronze woman stretches her hand toward the sky. Perhaps as an eternal goodbye to the artist who painted Colombia enormous, like his work.
Reporters Dianna M. Náñez and Carolina Cuellar contributed to this article
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2023-10-14 01:03:10
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