Colombian Informalism as Cold War Aesthetic Resistance
Ana M. Franco's latest article in ARTMargins delves into Colombian Informalism from the 1960s, focusing on artists like Álvaro Herrán, Miguel Ángel Cárdenas, Leonel Estrada, and Guillermo Wiedemann. These creators utilized gestural abstraction and everyday materials to critique modernization and highlight poverty. Franco also links their work to the concept of 'informal architecture,' which describes the makeshift urban spaces formed by rural migrants. Additionally, the article positions Colombian abstraction within the wider global postwar discussions aimed at decolonizing art history. You can read this thought-provoking piece in Volume 15, Issue 1, on pages 28-48, available through MIT Press.
Key facts
- Informalism emerged in Colombia in the early 1960s.
- Artists used everyday materials in gestural abstract paintings.
- Key artists include Álvaro Herrán, Miguel Ángel Cárdenas, Leonel Estrada, and Guillermo Wiedemann.
- The aesthetic reflected poverty, chaos, and 'underdevelopment'.
- It subverted notions of modernity central to Colombian political ideologies.
- The article is by Ana M. Franco.
- Published in ARTMargins, Volume 15, Issue 1, pp. 28-48.
- The article aims to decenter and decolonize art historical narratives.
Entities
Artists
- Álvaro Herrán
- Miguel Ángel Cárdenas
- Leonel Estrada
- Guillermo Wiedemann
Institutions
- ARTMargins
- MIT Press
Locations
- Colombia