Wifredo LamS ‘La Guerra Civil‘ Reveals a Militant Artist and a Troubled history at MoMA
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The Museum of Modern Art’s expansive retrospective, “Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream,” features the first-ever U.S. showing of Lam’s monumental 1937 painting, La Guerra Civil (The Spanish Civil War), a searing depiction of conflict and a testament to the artist’s radicalization amidst a period of intense political upheaval. Lam, a Cuban artist who arrived in Spain in 1923, abandoned his early classical training after witnessing the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, transforming into a politically engaged artist who actively fought alongside the Republicans.
From Portraiture to Protest: Lam’s Radical Change
Initially a classically trained portrait painter, Lam’s artistic trajectory dramatically shifted following the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The conflict,and his direct involvement – fighting alongside the Republican forces in Madrid and suffering chemical poisoning while working in a munitions factory – fundamentally altered his outlook. He recuperated in Barcelona, where he produced La Guerra Civil, his first overtly political and large-scale work. The painting, measuring over 6′ x 7′ , is a visceral response to the escalating violence and ideological clashes tearing Spain apart.
A Canvas of Carnage and Ideology
La Guerra Civil presents a chaotic scene of death and grief. Bodies are strewn across the street, some pierced with swords, while civilians mourn their loss. A “sea of faces” represents the spectrum of those involved – the righteous and the evil, according to the text.The inclusion of fragmented body parts and distorted figures conveys the brutality and dehumanization of war. The painting’s dark palette and fragmented composition reflect the psychological trauma experienced by Lam and the Spanish people.
Personal Loss and artistic Expression
Life in Spain was marked by personal tragedy. In 1931,his first wife and son succumbed to tuberculosis,a disease that,while treatable with access to adequate medical care,proved fatal due to the family’s lack of resources. This loss is reflected in his 1939 gouache on paper,Madre y niño (Mother and Child),which was the first of his paintings acquired by MoMA,directly from the artist’s Paris gallery. Lam’s later marriage was to the director of a tuberculosis laboratory, a poignant detail highlighting the impact of this personal experience.
A Transnational Artist and the Legacy of Decolonization
lam’s life and work embody the experience of the transnational artist, shaped by his Cuban heritage, his time in Spain, and his subsequent travels through Europe and beyond. He met Picasso in Paris and later collaborated with Surrealists while awaiting safe passage out of europe, eventually returning to Cuba in 1941 after being denied entry into the U.S. and Mexico. His return to Cuba sparked a reinvention of his artistic style, culminating in works like La jungla (The Jungle) (1942-43), a vibrant exploration of Caribbean identity, slavery, and indenture, currently in MoMA’s collection.
According to Christophe Cherix, The David Rockefeller Director at MoMA, lam’s work represents “an act of decolonization,” relocating black cultural objects within their own context. Lam himself stated that he sought to reclaim the “historical consciousness” of Africa, a sentiment that resonates deeply within his artistic practice. His commitment to representing diasporic culture as central to modernism, rather than peripheral, fundamentally changed the landscape of modern art.
Lam’s life was continually disrupted by political unrest, forcing him to leave Cuba in 1952 following a military coup. He eventually settled in Italy, continuing to create art until his death in 1982.His journey prefigured the experiences of manny contemporary artists navigating a globalized world, drawing inspiration from diverse cultures and challenging conventional artistic boundaries.
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A visit to New York during the exhibition offers a convenient opportunity to explore the Lower East Side, with the Moxy Lower East side hotel providing a stylish base less than half a mile from the New Museum and the Tenement Museum. The hotel’s rooftop bar offers views of the city skyline, while its lively public spaces and unique décor reflect the neighborhood’s vibrant history.
