René Francisco
Encyclopedia
René Francisco was born in 1960 (Holguín
; Cuba
). He is an important contemporary artist in Havana
. He first came at the ISA (Instituto Superior de Arte
) as a student in 1977, graduated in 1982 and studied until 1989, before becoming a professor ever since. He is very popular due to his unorthodox teaching methods, he sometimes leaves the Institute and the classes happen outside.
Rene Francisco's determination to create interaction between students and professors led him to create Galería DUPP, Desde una Pedagogía Pragmática (through a pragmatic pedagogy) in 1989. René Francisco talks admiringly and expansively about the ISA, which isn’t for him only a school to learn to paint, but a school of ideas, where the professors try to shape the students. More than a few of Francisco’s former students, such as Alexandre Arrechea
, Wilfredo Prieto
and Duvier del Dago Fernandez
, have gone on to achieve artistic prominence on their own.
René Francisco is an artist who has done a lot for the cause of conceptual art and community development. His commitment to El Romerillo, one of Havana's most notorious slums, extends beyond artistic interest.
In 2003 he received a grant from a foundation in Berlin that he decided to use to give an art project to the foundation and help residents of El Romerillo at the same time. He renovated Rosa Estévez's house and his Casa de Rosa pictures were exhibited in Berlin late in 2003.
In 2004, René Francisco turned the yard of Marcelina Ochoa, who everyone in El Romerillo called “Nin”, into a garden. He also provided her medical treatments. He exhibited his documentation of El Patio de Nin at the 52nd Venice Biennial in 2007.
René Francisco's studio is filled with extremely interesting paintings. Paint has been layered on canvas with a spatula, using a painstaking, pointillist technique. Most of the paintings have sociological and political themes. One of them shows masses of indistinguishable faces in black-and-white. Another shows seamstresses sewing flags in a mass of red, blue and white.
Holguín
Holguín is a municipality and city, the capital of the Cuban Province of Holguín. It also includes a tourist area, offering beach resorts in the outskirts of the region.-History:...
; Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
). He is an important contemporary artist in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
. He first came at the ISA (Instituto Superior de Arte
Instituto Superior de Arte
The University of Arts of Cuba - , Instituto Superior de Arte was established on September 1, 1976 by the Cuban government as a school for the arts. Its original structure had three schools: Music, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts....
) as a student in 1977, graduated in 1982 and studied until 1989, before becoming a professor ever since. He is very popular due to his unorthodox teaching methods, he sometimes leaves the Institute and the classes happen outside.
Rene Francisco's determination to create interaction between students and professors led him to create Galería DUPP, Desde una Pedagogía Pragmática (through a pragmatic pedagogy) in 1989. René Francisco talks admiringly and expansively about the ISA, which isn’t for him only a school to learn to paint, but a school of ideas, where the professors try to shape the students. More than a few of Francisco’s former students, such as Alexandre Arrechea
Alexandre Arrechea
Alexandre Arrechea was born in Trinidad, Cuba, in 1970. For twelve years he was a member of the art collective Los Carpinteros, until he left the group in July 2003 to continue his career as a solo artist....
, Wilfredo Prieto
Wilfredo Prieto
Wilfredo Prieto was born in 1978 . He is linked to conceptual art. He moved to Havana to pursue his art studies at the famed Higher Institute of Fine Arts , graduating in 2002....
and Duvier del Dago Fernandez
Duvier del Dago Fernandez
Duvier del Dago Fernandez is a Cuban from Zulueta, in the central Cuban province of Villa Clara. He was a student of the famous contemporary artist René Francisco Rodriguez at Havana’s Cuban Institute of Art...
, have gone on to achieve artistic prominence on their own.
René Francisco is an artist who has done a lot for the cause of conceptual art and community development. His commitment to El Romerillo, one of Havana's most notorious slums, extends beyond artistic interest.
In 2003 he received a grant from a foundation in Berlin that he decided to use to give an art project to the foundation and help residents of El Romerillo at the same time. He renovated Rosa Estévez's house and his Casa de Rosa pictures were exhibited in Berlin late in 2003.
In 2004, René Francisco turned the yard of Marcelina Ochoa, who everyone in El Romerillo called “Nin”, into a garden. He also provided her medical treatments. He exhibited his documentation of El Patio de Nin at the 52nd Venice Biennial in 2007.
René Francisco's studio is filled with extremely interesting paintings. Paint has been layered on canvas with a spatula, using a painstaking, pointillist technique. Most of the paintings have sociological and political themes. One of them shows masses of indistinguishable faces in black-and-white. Another shows seamstresses sewing flags in a mass of red, blue and white.
External links
- http://www.renefranciscorodriguez.com/FranciscoRene/
- http://fr.photography-now.com/artists/K20246.html
- http://www.artfacts.net/index.php/pageType/artistInfo/artist/22963/lang/4
- http://www.marcigaymu.com/artist/122
- http://www.jonathanferraragallery.com/dynamic/artist.asp?ArtistID=104
- http://www.medaid.org/www/art/artists/rfrancisco/works.html
- http://universes-in-universe.org/eng/intartdata/artists/america/cub/rodriguez
- http://www.art-agenda.com/displayshow.php?file=message_1130254480.txt
- http://www.visiblecity.ca/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77&Itemid=70
- http://www.universes-in-universe.de/car/habana/bien8/mnba/e-tour-03.htm
- http://chelseaartgalleries.com/artists/R/Ren_E9+Francisco+Rodr_EDguez.html
- http://www.galeriacubarte.cult.cu/g_artista.php?item=58&lang=eng