Altos de Chavon: Abanicos/Altos de Chavon: Fans (1982)
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Altos de Chavon: Abanicos
Altos de Chavon: Fans (1982)
In the summer of 1982, Jorge Luis was invited by Stephen Kaplan, Rector of the Chavón School of Art and Design in the Dominican Republic, to work as an Art Consultant. There, he would develop curriculum for the school, which later became an affiliate of the Parsons School of Design in New York City. In addition, he taught several courses related to the history of modern art, composition and design, and the integration of art in public schools. Jorge Luis was also provided with studio space where he worked on a sculpture series. The abanico de velorio, or the traditional hand fan used during wakes, provided a model for each sculpture. The hand fan is also a ubiquitous symbol in many Latin American countries, owing to the extreme heat common to the region. He utilized discarded steel scrap materials from the nearby construction site of the Altos de Chavón resort. The metal pieces were arranged by the artist into compositions that preserved their original form, i.e. no cutting was necessary. The music of Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández and other Caribbean composers was an additional strong influence in the execution of the artwork and reflected in the names of the sculptures. The series was exhibited at the Altos de Chavón Gallery in 1982, and again, in 2016, at Taller Boricua Art Gallery in East Harlem.
En el verano de 1982, Jorge Luis fue invitado por Stephen Kaplan, Rector de la Escuela de Arte y Diseno Chavon en la Republica Dominicana, para trabajar como Consultor de Arte. Alli, desarrollaria el plan de estudios para la escuela, que mas tarde se convirtio en un afiliado de la Pratt School of Design en la ciudad de Nueva York. Ademas, impartio varios cursos relacionados con la historia del arte moderno, la composicion y el diseno, y la integracion del arte en las escuelas publicas. Jorge Luis tambien fue provisto de un taller donde elaboro una serie de esculturas. El abanico de velorio, o el abanico tradicional utilizado durante las vigilias, proporciono un modelo para cada escultura. Es tambien un simbolo omnipresente en muchos paises latinoamericanos, debido al calor extremo comun a la region. Utilizo chatarra de acero desechados que extrajo del area a poca distancia donde se construia el complejo turistico de Altos de Chavon. Lo pedazos de metal fueron manipulados por el artista de una manera que logro mantener su forma original dentro de cada composicion, es decir, no era necesario cortarlos. La musica del compositor puertorriqueno Rafael Hernandez y otros compositores caribenos tambien influyeron fuertemente en la ejecucion de las obras de arte y se refleja en los nombres de las esculturas. La serie fue exhibida en Altos de Chavon Gallery en 1982 y nuevamente en 2016 en Taller Boricua Art Gallery en East Harlem.
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