José Torres Martino
Encyclopedia
José Antonio Torres Martino (1916 - April 22, 2011) was a Puerto Rican
painter
, artist
, journalist
and writer
. Martino founded or expanded many of Puerto Rico
's major media
, artistic and journalism
organizations. He was known for abstract paintings, many of which were inspired by the southern coast of Puerto Rico near the second city of Ponce
.
Torres was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico
, in 1916. Torres was raised in Puerto Rico, but moved to New York City
, where he studies at the Pratt Institute
in Brooklyn
for a brief time. Financial problems forced him to leave Pratt before completing his degree and he returned to Puerto Rico.
He began working as a radio journalist upon his return to Puerto Rico from New York
. He co-founded Puerto Rico's first magazine
focusing on radio journalism when he was 22 years old. According to Margarita Fernandez Zavala, a professor of art at the University of Puerto Rico
, Torres went on to become a well known voice for radio and television audiences between the 1940s and 1980s. Fernandez Zavala called Torres "one of the pioneers of radio and television
on the island."
Torres continued to paint while working on the radio in his twenties. During the mid-1940s, he was able to transition to painting as a full-time career. He returned to New York City, where he resumed school and held exhibitions of his work. He was able to tour Europe
, before returning to Puerto Rico. He then co-founded both the Center for Puerto Rican Art and the School of Plastic Arts of Puerto Rico
.
He remained active in the Puerto Rican media. Torres co-founded the Press and Television Guild of Puerto Rico in 1951, and later served as the guild's president. He spearheaded the creation of a graphics art program and workshop at the University of Puerto Rico. In addition to his appearances on the radio, Torres also became a columnist
for El Nuevo Día
, a Puerto Rican daily newspaper.
Jose Torres Martino died at Pavia Hospital in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
, on April 22, 2011, at the age of 94. He was survived by his son and two granddaughters.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. Martino founded or expanded many of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's major media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, artistic and journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
organizations. He was known for abstract paintings, many of which were inspired by the southern coast of Puerto Rico near the second city of Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
.
Torres was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, in 1916. Torres was raised in Puerto Rico, but moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he studies at the Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
for a brief time. Financial problems forced him to leave Pratt before completing his degree and he returned to Puerto Rico.
He began working as a radio journalist upon his return to Puerto Rico from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He co-founded Puerto Rico's first magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
focusing on radio journalism when he was 22 years old. According to Margarita Fernandez Zavala, a professor of art at the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
, Torres went on to become a well known voice for radio and television audiences between the 1940s and 1980s. Fernandez Zavala called Torres "one of the pioneers of radio and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
on the island."
Torres continued to paint while working on the radio in his twenties. During the mid-1940s, he was able to transition to painting as a full-time career. He returned to New York City, where he resumed school and held exhibitions of his work. He was able to tour Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, before returning to Puerto Rico. He then co-founded both the Center for Puerto Rican Art and the School of Plastic Arts of Puerto Rico
School of Plastic Arts of Puerto Rico
The School of Plastic Arts of Puerto Rico is a state university and a school of art in Old San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico. The school was originally founded in 1966 as part of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture...
.
He remained active in the Puerto Rican media. Torres co-founded the Press and Television Guild of Puerto Rico in 1951, and later served as the guild's president. He spearheaded the creation of a graphics art program and workshop at the University of Puerto Rico. In addition to his appearances on the radio, Torres also became a columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
for El Nuevo Día
El Nuevo Día
El Nuevo Día is a Puerto Rican newspaper based in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico and distributed daily throughout Puerto Rico and some parts of the United States.- History :...
, a Puerto Rican daily newspaper.
Jose Torres Martino died at Pavia Hospital in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Summary:Santurce is one of the top ten most populated areas of the island holding Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado as main cultural hot spots for art, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and...
, on April 22, 2011, at the age of 94. He was survived by his son and two granddaughters.