LGBT: Hard Light: The Work of Emilio Sanchez

Although barely acknowledged in his native country in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution, Sanchez dedicated much of his career to recreating the effects of Cuba’s sun-soaked colors onto canvas in his New York City studios. Sanchez’s acclaimed paintings, watercolors, and drawings are celebrated for their architectural forms, brilliant palettes, hard lines, and striking use of light and shadow. Although never fully abandoning figuration, Sanchez’s paintings reflect a dialogue with North American post War abstraction, as well as Latin American geometric abstraction. In addition to Cuban street scenes, Sanchez painted the architecture of New York, the Caribbean and North Africa, including still lifes, and land- and seascapes throughout.

Please join us on June 7^th at 7pm as we celebrate the release of a new book on Sanchez’s work, Hard Light: The Work of Emilio Sanchez . Authors Rafael DiazCasas, John D. Angeline, and Rudi C. Bleys will offer diverse perspectives on the Sanchez’s multifaceted art, moderated by Marysol Nieves. Each author will present an illustrated talk about Sanchez’s importance—from its relevance to aspects of modernism in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.S., to a unique glimpse into his private world and art through the lens of queer theory and aesthetics. This prismatic presentation will give readers a fresh look at this unique artist’s vision while firmly positioning Sanchez within the discourse on 20th-century art history.

 

Rafael DiazCasas is a curator and art historian who specializes in Latin American art.

John D. Angeline is an art historian and museum educator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Rudi C. Bleys writes widely in the field of queer theory.

Marysol Nieves is a New York based independent art consultant and critic.