May 11, 2008-Caracas, Venezuela, California Norte. (c)copyright,2008, by Carlos Mijares Poyer.
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Viewpoints on the History of the Life and Work of Venezuelan Artist Armando Reverón 1889-1954
Yes, Armando Reverón, the true Venezuelan painter and artist, also a builder of his own permaculture house, of stone and mud and palms, was born in 1889.
In his youth visited and studied art briefly in the San Fernando Art School in University Complutense of Madrid, Spain; and also meandered Paris like many, conducting himself in best manner of dress and suit and hairstyle of the time.
Returning to Venezuela, and forming part of the artistic generation of 1918, with poets and other artists, he went to live in the province, partially putting aside social and artistic conventions. He met russian painter Fernandov who recommended he move to La Güaira, the tropical and litoral beach or seashore area near the capital city of Caracas, Venezuela. Later, moved to Macuto to the same instance of whiteness from the shining sun that would characterize his white over white paintings, there he built El Castillete, a small rock house he made in semblance of a primitive tropical rock castle. There, where he lived with two monkeys Pancho & Pepé (he would place leather strapped masks on their faces, and with his companion Juanita Mota,a young woman who posed for many of his paintings and accompanied him.
Hence, fishermen were his friends, and in an inner and bizarre and fantastic beauty, are his life size rag- dolls which resemble turn of the century bohemian or burlesque ladies with red silk ribbons around their necks and rosy or purple made up cheeks-their eyes and mouths signaling harsh mascara; the gaze of life, and red lip-stick mouths which in their loincloth making appear to be more than real; as if murdered in life or about to stand up and walk, or even dance with Armando, the artist who cajoled their mysterium into reality of the present.
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