Beatriz González facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beatriz González
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Gonzalez in 2015
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| Born | November 16, 1938 Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia
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Notable work
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The ... of Sisga I, II and III, La Última Mesa, Nací en Florencia |
| Movement | Pop Art |
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Beatriz González (born November 16, 1938) is a famous artist from Colombia. She is a painter, sculptor, and art expert. Her work is often connected with the Pop Art movement. She is best known for her bright, colorful art that shows what life was like in Colombia during a difficult time in its history known as La Violencia.
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Who is Beatriz González?
Beatriz González was born in the city of Bucaramanga, Colombia, in 1938. As a young woman, she first studied architecture but soon realized her true passion was art. She switched her studies and graduated with a fine arts degree from the University of Los Andes in 1962. One of her important teachers was the art expert Marta Traba.
González grew up during a period of conflict in Colombia called La Violencia. This experience deeply shaped how she saw the world and influenced her unique style of art.
Her Career in Art
Many people call González a Pop Art artist, but she never saw herself that way. She felt Pop Art was different from her painting style. She said her art was about "the joy of the underdeveloped" and focused on everyday life in her home country.
González became a well-known artist at a time when most famous Colombian artists were men. She said this was never a problem for her. She gave credit to her teacher, Marta Traba, for encouraging women to be part of the art world in Colombia.
A Career-Launching Painting
In 1965, González created a painting called The ... of Sisga. It was based on a newspaper photo of a young couple who were involved in a tragic event at the Sisga River dam. At first, the judges of a major art show rejected the painting. But after Marta Traba argued for it, the painting was accepted. González even won a special prize, which helped start her successful career.
Art on Furniture
In the 1970s, González had a new idea after visiting a hardware store. She started painting on furniture like nightstands, chairs, and tables. She would take famous pictures, like paintings from the Renaissance or photos from the news, and paint them onto these everyday objects.
For example, she painted the faces of popes on nightstands. This was inspired by the religious pictures many people in Colombia kept in their homes.
A Shift to Darker Themes
In 1985, a violent attack on the Palace of Justice in Colombia deeply affected González. After this event, she felt she could no longer make cheerful art. Her work became more serious and darker. She began to explore themes of death and other tragic events in her country's history.
One of her famous paintings from this time shows three Colombian presidents wearing Native Amazonian headdresses. Many people thought this painting was her way of saying the presidents were not effective leaders.
Famous Artworks
González has created many memorable pieces of art. Here are a few of her most famous ones.
The ... of Sisga I, II and III
This is one of her earliest and most famous works. It shows a young couple holding hands and flowers, based on a newspaper photo. The couple had hired a photographer to take their picture right before a tragic event.
González said she was drawn to the "bad quality" of the photo. The simple, almost strange-looking faces in the picture inspired her. This painting was one of the first where she used her art to comment on the difficult times in Colombia.
La última mesa (The Last Table)
This artwork is a metal dining table with Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, The Last Supper, painted on top. González chose this image because it was very popular in Colombia. Many people hung a picture of it in their homes for good luck.
By putting the art on a table, she changed the furniture's purpose. She also used brighter colors to make the classic European painting feel more Latin American.
Nací en Florencia (I was born in Florence)
For this piece, González painted her own version of the Mona Lisa on a panel. She then placed it on a large, fancy coat rack where a mirror would normally be.
When people look at the artwork, they see the famous image of beauty but in a new, reproduced style. The long and funny title of the piece adds to its clever and playful meaning.
Canción de cuna (Lullaby)
This artwork features a painting of a mother holding her child. The image was based on a picture that was very common in Colombia. González painted it on a sheet of metal and placed it inside an old baby crib she found. The theme of mothers and children appeared often in her work.
Exhibitions
- What an Honor to Be With You at This Historic Moment, Works 1965-1997, 1998, El Museo del Barrio
- Transmissions: Art in Eastern Europe and Latin America 1960-1980, Museum of Modern Art, New York
- I Am Still Alive: Everyday Life in Contemporary Drawing, March 23–September 19, 2011, Museum of Modern Art, New York
- documenta 14, Athens, Greece and Kassel, Germany, 2017
- Beatriz González: A Retrospective, Pérez Art Museum Miami, 2019.
- "Poetics of Gesture: War and Peace" at The De Pont Museum in Tilburg, The Netherlands, and MUAC in Mexico City.
Collections
- Pérez Art Museum Miami
- Tate Americas Foundation
- Museum of Modern Art, New York
- De Pont Museum, Tilburg
