The Mocking Spirit of Lázaro Saavedra1

The appearance of Lázaro Saavedra - at that time a member of one of those hardened associations – the provocative Grupo Pure - had the effect of a splash of cold water. Being himself an intellectual, his work from the beginning was of an equally reflective and speculative nature, but in his case, was tinged with a strong element of humour. Saavedra has consistently questioned issues around the artistic context ('the process of creation', 'the work of art', 'the artist', 'the spectator', 'the critic', 'the cultural institutions', etc.) and linguistic, semiological, psychological notions. Later on, he would touch on moral and political issues that afflicted, and continue to afflict our society. The extravagantly talkative and sarcastic caricatures, or 'little men', created by Lázaro began to take over the sacred gallery space. They became the spokesmen, not only of the opinions and judgements of the artist,

By Orlando Hernandez.

At some point between 1980 and 1985 Cuban art started to become slightly (or dangerously) serious, almost solemn. It began to take almost too seriously its reflective function. From the beginning of the decade some principles of conceptual art and arte povera had introduced to the art scene a varied repertoire of adaptations and translations which, although of unquestionable originality, threatened to establish a new and severe academic view of an intellectual propensity which, in this case, was lead by scholars of anthropology, ethnography and of the history of religions. Although it constituted the first artistic avant-garde to have appeared in Cuba since the distant 30's, this newly serious art slowly acquired a sense of a certain sense of order and an esoteric, 'only for noviciates' flavour. The inevitable reaction to this followed different courses. Groups of younger, more daring and rebellious artists introduced a more relaxed and even festive tone. They began to explore territories until then neglected and discredited. Humour, eroticism, obscenity and general disrespect for anything of a canonical, established or institutional character became the centre of interest of these new groups, which towards the end of the decade assumed a much more radical attitude in terms of social and political criticism and were consequently censored.

1 From the catalogue “Trabajando P’al Ingle”. Concourse Gallery, Barbican Center. 1999. London. pp. 20-21

Puré Group (1986)

“Puré Expone” Exhibition (1986)

but also of the alter ego of each one of the spectators; foreseeing the reading, the interpretations, mocking the flatteries, executing and attacking possible censorship. Such ambiguity allowed him to focus and comment on any problem from all points of view, including of course the oppositional and antagonistic criteria. This multi-faceted vision has turned out to be one of his main tools as creator, although perhaps also a source for secret distress. Lázaro is aware of the multiple variants and the complexity and heterogeneity of everything, and it would be absurd or unwise to reduce this variety to a single option of unification. He is also aware of the impossibility of covering that infinite diversity in a one -off creative act. The openness is carried through to his use of materials and techniques - everything can be used from rubbish to the most sophisticated software. "In general", as Lázaro confessed to me, "I am not even interested in having what I have made recognized as a work of art; it is good enough having been able to explore and extract something from the depths of my mind and give it a visual representation." Apparently the true delight, the pleasure, always takes place in those initial periods of conception, in the process itself and not so much in the final results. This is the reason why it has been said that his truest and best work is his multiple notebooks.

Lázaro seems to work as one of those ingenious and eccentric machines of Tinguely. The mechanism that moves them is perfect; each pulley, screw and gear has been meticulously calculated in order for the whole thing to move, turn or shake without any difficulty, but the general aspect of the machine and the resulting movement is often temperamental, irregular, arbitrary. The mind of Lázaro is like this: methodical, analytical, but the visual representation of his ideas can often be chaotic and spontaneous, as if it suffered from a kind of excision or psychological fracture that prevents him and his work from

“Carl Marx” (1987)

Detail, “Carl Marx” (1987)

“The Last Supper” (1999). Installation.

reaching a stability, a unique and single definition, or what some call a 'style'. But isn't this his best virtue, his major advantage?

'The Last Supper' constitutes not only a simple 'national' version of an episode well represented in the history of art, but also a biting commentary on the mythical wrapping in which the Cuban revolutionary process and its leaders have at times been represented. This situation has been seen by some, not just as a mere coincidence, but as a studied propagandistic strategy or a subtle consecration of power. The most profitable reading will depend, therefore, on the historical references that inform the piece.

Detail, “The Last Supper” (1999). Installation.

Detail, “The Last Supper” (1999). Installation.