Beatriz González facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beatriz González
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| Born | November 16, 1932 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 in 1932) is a famous Colombian artist. She is known for her colorful paintings and sculptures. Many people connect her art to the Pop Art movement. Her work often shows scenes from daily life in Colombia, especially during a difficult time called La Violencia.
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Her Early Life and Education
Beatriz González was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia, in 1932. She was the youngest child of Valentín González Rangel and Clementina Aranda Mantilla.
In the late 1950s, she started studying architecture. But she soon left that program. She then went to the University of Los Andes (Colombia). She graduated from their fine arts department in 1962. There, she learned from important teachers like art critic Marta Traba and painter Joan Antonio Roda.
González grew up in Colombia during the 1940s and 1950s. This was a time when the country faced a lot of social and political challenges. This period was known as La Violencia. Growing up during this time greatly shaped how González saw Colombian society. It also influenced her unique artistic style.
Her Artistic Journey
Even though many people call González a Pop artist, she has never seen herself that way. She felt that the Pop Art style didn't quite fit her paintings. She believed her art was about showing the "joy of the underdeveloped." She thought her art was more local and focused on everyday life in Colombia.
González is also recognized for being a successful woman artist. This was especially true in a country and art scene where many artists were men. She credits Marta Traba for encouraging women in Colombian art. González believes that women artists should not feel like victims.
Early Success and Recognition
One of her early works was first turned down by an art show in 1965. The judges thought it was not good. But her friend and mentor, Marta Traba, convinced them to look again. The painting was then accepted. González even won a special prize for it. This award helped kick-start her career.
Art on Everyday Objects
In the 1970s, González started making art on furniture. She would buy cheap furniture like nightstands, chairs, and beds. These were the kinds of items found in many middle-class homes. She would then paint images onto them.
She often took pictures from famous Italian Renaissance paintings. She also used images from current news. She carefully matched the image to the furniture's use. For example, she painted popes' faces on nightstands. This was like the religious pictures often placed near beds in Colombian homes.
Art Reflecting Tough Times
In 1985, González's art changed a lot. Her bright colors and shapes became darker. This change happened after a serious incident at the Palace of Justice. This event deeply affected the country.
She once painted three Colombian presidents wearing Native Amazonian headdresses. They were next to a Native Amazonian person. Many people saw this as a way to show that the presidents were not doing a good job.
Big Exhibitions and Recognition
In 2019, the Pérez Art Museum Miami held a special show of González's work. It was her first big show in the United States. The exhibition was called Beatriz González: A Retrospective. It showed nearly 150 artworks from the 1960s until today. Her art commented on important art movements like Pop Art. It also touched on Latin American feminism.
Famous Artworks by Beatriz González
"The Last Table"
La última mesa (The Last Table) was one of González's first furniture artworks. She repainted Leonardo da Vinci's famous Last Supper onto metal sheets. These sheets were then put onto a fake-wood dining table.
González chose this image because it was very popular in Colombian culture. People often put pictures of The Last Supper above their main doors for good luck. With this work, González wanted to show a "representation of representations." She also wanted to make universal art more Latin American. She removed the dark shadows from the original painting. This made it feel more lively and unique to Latin America.
"I Was Born in Florence"
The full title of this work is Nací en Florencia y tenía 26 años cuando fue pintado mi retrato (esta frase pronunciada en una voz dulce y baja). This means I was born in Florence and was 26 years old when my portrait was painted (this phrase pronounced in a low, sweet voice).
For this artwork, González painted her own version of da Vinci's Mona Lisa. She placed it where a mirror would normally be on a large, fancy coat rack. She used the mirror's spot to frame her painting. When people look at it, they see a famous image of beauty. But it is recreated in a simple, copied style.
"Lullaby"
Canción de cuna (Lullaby) shows a mother holding her child. This image was based on a picture that was printed a lot in Colombia. González painted it on a metal sheet. She then put this sheet inside a crib she found in Bogotá. The crib used to belong to a hospital. The theme of a mother and child often appeared in her art. This made González herself a symbol of motherhood.
Where Her Art Has Been Shown
- 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.
Where You Can Find Her Art
- Pérez Art Museum Miami
- Tate Americas Foundation
- Museum of Modern Art, New York
- De Pont Museum, Tilburg
