Pearson's Looking Through the Canvas with Patrick Frank & Pedro Figari and Afro-Uruguayan Culture
Explore various perspectives on Pedro Figari and Afro-Uruguayan Culture with author Patrick Frank, who focuses on the artist's portrayal of Candombe ceremonies and the issue of cultural appropriation.
Patrick Frank, Author
Join author Patrick Frank in our Looking Through the Canvas webisode series where he will discuss unique perspectives on Pedro Figari and Afro-Uruguayan Culture. During the 1920s, Pedro Figari made dozens of paintings of Black Uruguayans dancing at Sunday gatherings. These events, known as Candombes, were major unifiers of that community. Figari himself visited several of these gatherings and painted them mostly from memory. After discussing the unique imagery and style of these works, the session will explore his view of the Candombe ceremony as a white artist. Was he practicing Cultural Appropriation?
About the speaker
Patrick Frank, Author
Patrick Frank has taught in many higher education environments, from rural community colleges to public and private research universities. Most recently, he was Regents’ Lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles. His specialty as a scholar is modern art of Latin America, and he has authored or co-authored 6 books in this field. Most recently, he edited and translated Manifestos and Polemics in Latin American Modern Art, published in 2017 by University of New Mexico Press. He earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at George Washington University in Washington, DC.