Photography T. Bo nnet
E n requiring nearly seventy artists to work on the subject of Che Guevara, or more precisely its image as it has evolved over time, Yves Suty must have had some ulterior motive. A tribute to Che?, Certainly not. A company bashing?, No more. To make a stunt denouncing the ideals of merchandise? Maybe. To gently mock the myth? If you want because there is indeed through the exhibits, with variations more or less respectful distance footprints and irony. That artists are reclaiming what has become a commodity?, No doubt. To discover the Che for the youngest and to show other facets of the revolutionary?, Since when the gallery are intended teaching now? On exhibit designers unaccustomed to exhibitions as from advertising or design, there's no doubt. " should know that I come from advertising and design activities that manufacture commercial myths. In this the myth of Che perfectly symbolizes the excesses of our system that churns everything it touches into ready-to-believe. Che reincarnated in brand, "says Yves Suty.
But to fully appreciate the works on display at the Grand Theatre d'Angers it may be necessary to make a little detour through history, to trace briefly the history of man and the image .
The revolutionary
Born June 14, 1928, in Rosario de la FĂ©, Argentina, the union of Celia de la Serna and a contractor Building, Ernesto Guevara Lynch, the future Comandante follows his family in the many journeys in connection with father's occupation. The condition of the family is far from being fragile, as evidenced by the decision to move to a resort in the region of Cordoba to treat asthma Che's small. After having completed his studies, Ernesto decides to go into medical school in Buenos Aires, where the family lives now, due to financial problems. It finances its own studies by working as a nurse, a shoe salesman. When he left his books and his asthma left him some respite he walks in the neighborhoods talking to vagrants and suffering. passionate about travel, he left in late 1951, a motorcycle with his friend Alberto Granado, discover the Andes and the pre-Columbian cities. Came to the leper colony of Huambo, Peru, they offer themselves as volunteers. His journey takes him to Miami, where he remained for over a month with almost no money. His dislike for the USA is huge. Returned to Buenos Aires, he finished his doctorate of medicine then goes to Guatemala to join a revolution condemned by the U.S.. Refuge at the embassy in Argentina after the fall of the revolutionary government, Che, as they call it now takes the path of exile in Mexico. He will meet with Cuban revolutionaries Fidel Castro.
November 25 th 1956
, 82 revolutionaries including Commander Fidel Castro and Ernesto Che Guevara medical officer, away from the banks of the Rio Tuxpan to reach Cuban shores. After a journey that turns into a nightmare, the Cuban revolution can begin. The steps to follow endless heavy fighting with the regular troops to eventually reach the Sierra Maestra. Che was seriously wounded in the neck. But the revolutionary army saw its ranks swell and it is finally the night of December 31, 1958 January 1, 1959 that the city of Santa Clara is taken. Batista fled and Che into Havana on January 2. The Comandante has become a living legend.
pages followed by a more controversial life of Ernesto as linked to his work within the prison Cabana where between 200 and 500 prisoners were killed. Joined
C
Ubain he became the ambassador of the revolution and travels around the world. At 37, tired of political life, he resumed fighting and joined the revolutionaries fighting against Zaire Moise Tshombe. Its mission ended with the impeachment of President without his work there is to much. 
His revolutionary adventure ends in Bolivia, where its operation results in a failure. Abandoned and frustrated, he was captured by Bolivian soldiers, then executed October 9, 1967, then buried under a road. Thus ended the life of revolutionary. But the photographs of his death and the macabre staging wanted by the Bolivian military will tour the newsrooms. Some of these images can be compared to tables of Christ and will thus help to make the hero a martyr.
Che eternal
Who did ja 
but saw one of these photos? Whether in books, newspapers, posters, walls or on t-shirts, hard to escape! For most of us, she is the epitome of Che. The photograph was taken March 5, 1960 in Havana by Alberto Diaz Gutierrez Korda said at the funeral of 75 men killed in the explosion on the eve of the merchant ship French Minister of arms, The Coubre explosive 
is probably due to American intelligence. Rage, pain, feverish eyes, hair blowing in the wind mingle in this shot. Yet it will remain seven years in a drawer. It was the Italian Feltrinelli who digs in before the students rebelled not seize it into a symbol of protest. Within a few months, the photograph went around the world. She became in a short time the symbol of a myth posted on the bedroom walls of an entire generation. For the magazine photo, Jacques Seguela advertising mogul, describes the photograph: " Korda's photograph concentrates all the virtues attributed to Che: honesty, bravery, selflessness, challenge, loyalty, pride, not to mention a dose of military masculinity. The face of Che Guevara expresses both the strength (against USA) confidence (in the future of the revolution), neglect (beard, long hair in the wind) the seriousness of the commitment (the star Commander on his beret) . The Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick's stylized using only black and white and will turn it into a representation of a pop icon propelling the same time Che among the rock stars. A paradoxical fate
Che has been manipulated by the policy? The debate remains open, but what you may check more than 40 years after his death, the survival of the myth or less exploitative market the revolutionary icon. What about the flood of consumer goods bearing the likeness of Che? He who has fought all his life capitalism ultimately becomes the best expression of the spirit of consumerism, this economic and political system. Could he imagine that thousands of T-shirts bearing his face, that the turnover generated by this business which operates its image beyond the hundreds of millions of dollars? There are countless companies in the world that produce items specifically dedicated to Che, the majority
are American or multinational North American capital. Members of the jet set as the footballer Maradona, the boxer Mike Tyson, the singer Manu Chao or the actor Johnny Depp tattoos exhibit dedicated to Comandante, causing a boomerang effect on the masses always inclined to take these celebrities as an example. Those who buy these items are available for a few Euros they myth they believe to be revolutionary, saviors of the world? I do not think. The phenomenon might be studied, it nevertheless retains its mystery. Christopher Hitchens, " iconic status of Che is that it has failed. His story is a h istory of th defeated and isolated. is a revolutionary who has neither claws nor fangs and it embodies a rebellion that offends no one. Had he lived older, would he have been associated with power, the myth of Che would have died long then ". Especially it is adorned with a pretty face, and if Ernesto Guevara had the crooked nose, eyes with strabismus and the nutcracker chin? Artists and Che
Here one thinks of Andy Warhol. He uses the image of Che as those of Maylin Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, Mao, Elvis Presley. Neither honor nor criticism nor diversion, just a "serialization", to give a product known as the widely publicized. The man was removed in favor of the image, its ideals have vanished, giving way to the figure of the revolutionary hero reviewed by the New York artist.
Very few artists, however, as Argentina's Miguel Hunt wanted through their paintings pay tribute to Ernesto Guevara .
The exhibition presented by Yves Suty is not political, 40 years have passed since the death of guerrilla fighter. We are in France, the ideas of revolution have fizzled, and the dispute embodied in other poeple, the pretty boy, postman by trade, cantor of the NPA by its fonction.Il is here, each in its way to revisit the image of Ernesto Guevara.
It may be noted that especially the signs of virility military, challenge, courage, pride that attracted the young painters. Honesty, disinterestedness mentioned appear Seguela not. The isolation and defeat can be reflected in some tables. What catches the attention is the character Che, which is due without doubt one of the revolutionary pipolisation updated.
Dai Dai offers three times the life of Che: the doctor, the guerrilla and arrogant man sandwich he has become. To fully appreciate his works one should bear in mind the advertising campaigns for American dairy farmers "Got Milk" where the biggest American stars are asked to sing the praises of milk. The artist plays with the perspective of the viewer. It is no longer question lie below Ernesto Guevara, dominated by it in some way as in the photo but Korda over him as if he again became a mere human in turn dominated by the Most High. The wink that we address suggests that he is not fooled by what is happening or will succeed him. 
Yves Ullens focuses, in turn, the journey of man with his ups and downs represented by the electro encephalogram. Found in the portrait of the important places where he lived with his eyebrows, depicted by the map of Cuba and the region of Buenos Aires nose, being a part of Bolivia. Barbed wire trap picture, it would be revolutionary prisoner of his image? The weapon and sthéthoscope that frame the EEG are of course the symbols of his action. 
The universe of Terry and Dav Guedin are those of the comic book and action movies. Che is a hero but certainly just as Star Wars Chewbacka or Bruce Lee.
is with humor that Jo Draft launches its call for armed struggle, alluding to Gainsbourg and his Marseillaise (weapons and so on).
What we can notice is the unavoidable presence of signs that are attached to Che: the beret for its military role, the star for the revolution, the cigar to the fact that it has become Cuban. Cuba is omnipresent, phrases like Cuba free, Hasta la victoria semper also referring back to the speeches of Che. But these are the only references to his ideals and that sound more like advertising slogans. Besides, in general, artists are not exposed soft against the image of Comandante.
The reference to the icon Che is explicit in Doberman (icona popular) while Ian Stuyver us a course in applied semiotics. The stylized face of Che is an icon as well as the representation of the pedestrian, telephone, or by broken glass showing fragility. With a touch of humor the artist invents a container supposedly fragile, yet to be identified.
Some of the works on display depict the struggle between the revolutionary and U.S. imperialism and its economic counterpart, capitalism. Indeed
how to interpret the tin soldiers invading the surface of the painting, drawing and traits Guevara? But the sculpture of Michael Soubeyrand is not the defeat of Che against the Americans - or not only. " is also a representation of reality: Che gave an aesthetic image, seductive, attractive to the killing. His face is made of soldiers serving the revolution, his designs murderers. This piece sums up the exhibition" says Yves Suty.
Patrick Thomas is even more radical in my opinion. With American Investment, we mean that the revolution was defeated and that the signs of U.S. companies will catch up as they invade Cuba Che's face. The fight seems uneven as the Yankee army seems large and conquering. The victory of the American merchant is no doubt.
To go further:
File Ernesto Guevara in the journal History
An interview with Che in French: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5X0L_SPgoE
Travelogues (Diarios de motocicleta ) movie Brazil, Chile, U.S., Peru and Argentina in 2003 by Walter Salles
http://www.galeriesuty.com/
0 comments:
Post a Comment