Correcciones Políticas/ Political Correctness
by Osvaldo Budet at the National Gallery of Puerto Rico
On August 4, 2011 will open at the Contemporary Art Hall of the National Gallery of Puerto Rico, at the Puerto Rico Culture Institute, the exhibition Correcciones Políticas/Political Correctness, first solo show by artist Osvaldo Budet after completing his Masters in Fine Arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2008.
The exhibition contains a selection of works done over the last four years, and is closely linked to his thesis’ research, during his residence in Leipzig and his most recent production from Berlin, which includes two film projects. One of these created as part of the BMW Advent Event 2010, which narrates the story of a worker at a BMW factory.
The focus of the exhibition is to organize the most active recent productions of this young artist, to stimulate reflection and criticism over his work. The artistic labour of Osvaldo Budet is like an innocent attempt to discuss, criticize and reflect upon history, and the past from the possibilities that fiction offers. The paintings are an historic opportunity for intervention, which in turn reveals the subjectivity of the individual events directly and stress that they should never be forgotten. Budet´s images come from film and photographic documents into which the artist inserts him in a comical gesture, but subversive nonetheless for bringing history before us.
Budet states: “Growing up in a colony (Puerto Rico) a “Third World” country has made me conscious and curious of the relationships between figures of authority and the powerless. I see my art-practice as an analogy of the political relationships between local groups and the public. My role as art maker is both a colonizing force (perhaps, simply the colonizing of canvas) and a neutral-less viewer of the political theatre. Along with my fascination of political conflict, documentary films obsess me. In the past, I have produced films. However, it is the desire to create and inhabit the “truthful” storytelling that I am most compelled to do. The past influences us but we do not influence the past. My work breaks this paradigm to create an alternate present”.
Budet has participated in numerous exhibitions in and out of Puerto Rico. In 2008 immediately after his graduation, was chosen to participate in the Leipzig International Art Program in Leipzig, Germany. In 2010 presented Romantic Political Affair that was shown at the Chicago Institute of Puerto Rican Art and Culture, USA, and at Caps Lock Project in Berlin, Germany.
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My first time with Obama, 2008 - Graphite, Diamond dust, glass and acrylic on photograph - 97 x 122 cm. / Grafito, Polvo de diamante, vidrio y acrílico sobre fotografía. -
Trosky y la guerra civil Española IV., 2010 - Resin, diamond dust, stainless steel, iron oxide mica, granite, graffito, aluminum and oil on panel - 80 x 80 cm./ Resina, polvo de diamante, acero inoxidable, mica de óxido de hierro, granito, grafito, aluminio y óleo sobre tabla. -
RPC, 2009 - Iron Oxide, stainless steel, Mica and acrylic on panel - 92 x 244 cm. / Oxido de Hierro, acero inoxidable, mica y acrílico sobre tabla.
