Preview
Description
Miguel Fleitas is an established Cuban painter and photographer who brings unique personal and professional backgrounds and perspectives into his work. He is the son of Miguel Fleitas Sr., an accomplished Cuban painter and filmmaker who was associated with several of Cuba’s most famous artists, including Wifredo Lam, and also was the founding director of Cuba’s national film institute. As a result of this background, Miguel Fleitas Jr., was exposed to the arts from his earliest years and knew how to take professional photography by the age of 10.
He first became internationally recognized in the arts for his Black & White art photography in the 1980s while still in Cuba. During that time he won a prize to have his photographs tour twelve Latin American countries, and also placed 6th globally in an international photography exhibition and competition held in Poland. By the end of the decade he relocated to the United States and would work professionally in television production and broadcasting, which inspired him to explore the impact of mass media on society through some of his art. In the 1990s, he began to paint in the Expressionist style and to exhibit his paintings professionally for the first time. He is now better known for his paintings, particularly his three main series of works: Gallos (Roosters), the mass-media influenced Breast Project, and his Van Gogh-influenced Tulips in the Wind floral still lifes.
This piece is from his Gallos series and, as with the rest of the series, is emblematic of Cuban culture as the rooster is a common Cuban symbol. This piece is particularly powerful and unique among the series as it shows a close-up of a rooster’s face without the legs visible. It is also unique within the series for being executed in starkly black & white, without the bold splashes of vivid monochromatic paint (typically red or blue) he usually infuses into his roosters. This starkness allows for more focus on the draftsmanship, realism-informed detailing and linework, and also creates a conceptual link to his Black & White photography origins.
This piece has been previously exhibited in a 2013 solo exhibition of his rooster series in Domingo Padron Gallery of Coral Gables.
Date Digital
9-20-2024
Date Original
2013
Format
charcoal on cardboard