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The Eternal Spiral
  

  Solo Show
Humberto Castro

Issue #64 Apr - Jun 2007
United States, Miami
Institution:
ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries

Irina Leyva


The Virginia Miller Gallery in Coral Gables inaugurated a retrospective of works created over the past fifteen years by the Cuban painter Humberto Castro. Titled “Humberto Castro: Pinturas y dibujos, 1990–2006,” the show comprised fourteen paintings and three drawings.

In Castro’s work, three style periods could be discerned: one comprising his paintings of 1990; a second one of works from 1993 to 1994; and a third one beginning in 1995. The 1990 works covered the transition between the 1980s and what was to come in 1993. In this first period, Castro’s figures were still connected to the “bad painting” style for which he was known in the 1980s; bright colors were retained, but the spatial distribution that would characterize his future works was already visible. Two works from this transitional period were included in the retrospective, El pez de hierro and La casa de virgo.

Between 1993 and 1994, Castro’s works stood out for their lyrical qualities. In that period, he explored the philosophical theme of the Minotaur in his labyrinth. Form of contorted bodies conveyed the artist’s inner preoccupations and existential concerns stemming from his condition as an exile in Paris during those years. Two canvases from this period were included in the show, both from 1994: La espiral eterna and Viaje imaginario. These were large-format works, with a palette that had been greatly reduced in comparison to previous works. They were characterized by a combination of red-beige and ochre, resulting in dramatic contrasts.

The show’s three drawings were also from this period, two from 1993 and the third from 1994. Made in ink, the figures were resolved through a combination of shadows and contours that created a floating sensation. The topic of these drawings was still the Minotaur, which Castro explored extensively during that time.

Beginning in 1995, new structural changes became evident, and the palette shifted. Castro’s lines became simplified, and there was a new use of pure and forceful colors, perhaps a consequence of his return to the tropics; in 1999, Castro moved permanently from Paris to Miami. These shifts were more visible in his works of 2000, with backgrounds in flattering colors and figures that appeared more isolated, reflecting a period of introspection. Castro continued with his exploration of the human form and his philosophical investigations, with the topic of exile more latent but visible through very concrete symbols. Among these were boats, the presence of the sea, and maps of Cuba. Summarizing this state of being were two works: Sueño transcurriendo, from 1995, which represented a figure in a fetal position inside a boat, as in an dreamlike journey to its origins, and La lección de anatomía, from 2000, in which the map of Cuba was portrayed in silhouette with a mask.

Two works dealt with the consequences of exile. One was Comme des poissons, from 1998, which displayed two figures, hybrid creatures that were half-human and half-fish; between them was a pendulum. Castro speaks of the figures’ evolution, of their responses to different aspects of the new life one faces after emigration. The second work touching on this topic was Traversee, from 2000, which presented a human figure carrying a snail and spoke of the exile’s perpetual motion and instability.

In a general sense, the show was carefully prepared and provided a balanced selection of Castro’s works. One unifying feature running through Castro’s oeuvre, independent of period or style, is its autobiographical character with a central theme of humanity and its emotions. This retrospective marked the end of a creative period in his career and announced the start of a new one.
 


 

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