Arts - Puerto Rico - page 519

» Máscaras (masks) These frightening and beautiful headpieces are worn at island
fiestas, and are popular pieces of folk art. The tradition of masked processions goes
back to the Spanish Inquisition, when masqueraders known as vejigantes brandished
balloon-like objects (called vejigas; literally, 'bladders'), terrifying sinners into return-
ing to the church. In Puerto Rico, it merged with masking traditions of African slaves.
Rita Moreno, who was born in Humacao in 1931, is the first and only Puerto Rican actress to have won an Academy Award, a
Grammy, a Tony and an Emmy.
Visual Arts
San Juan's Museo de San Juan is a symbol of Puerto Rico's dedication to the visual arts,
which can be traced back to the early days of Spanish colonization. The first great local
artist to emerge was self-taught painter José Campeche (1752-1809). Masterpieces such as
Dama a caballo (Lady on Horseback) and Gobernador Ustariz (Governor Ustariz) demon-
strate Campeche's mastery of landscape and portrait painting, often inspired by the story of
Jesus.
Another master, Francisco Oller (1833-1917) did not gain recognition until the second
half of the 19th century. Oller was very different from Campeche; he studied in France
under Gustave Courbet and was influenced by acquaintances including Cézanne. Like his
mentor Courbet, Oller dedicated a large body of his work to scenes from humble, everyday
island life. Bayamón, Oller's birthplace, maintains a museum to its native son, and many
of his works are in San Juan's Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. Both Oller and Campeche
are honored for starting an art movement inspired by Puerto Rican nature and life, and they
gave a distinct cultural and artistic identity to the island.
The film Angel, written and directed by Jacobo Morales, follows the story of a corrupt police captain and the man he wrongly
imprisoned. It narrowly missed out on a 2008 Academy Award nomination.
After a storm of poster art that covered the island in visual and verbal images during
the 1950s and '60s, serious painters such as Julio Rosado de Valle, Francisco Rodón and
Myrna Báez (b 1931) evolved a new aesthetic in Puerto Rican art, in which images rebel
against the tyranny of political and jingoistic slogans.
Today, one of the island's most famous artists is actually a Nuyorican - Rafael Tufiño
(1922-2008), who was born in Brooklyn to Puerto Rican parents. Using vivid colors and
big canvases, Tufiño was considered the 'Painter of the people' because of his unflinching