An essential stopover for scholars of Latin American art

One of Europe¡¯s leading collections of Latin American art is shortly to be made far more accessible to students and 바카라사이트 general public.

When 바카라사이트 University of Essex was established in 1963, vice-chancellor Albert Sloman was determined that it should break 바카라사이트 mould. One aspect of this was a commitment to 바카라사이트 largely neglected field of Latin American studies and 바카라사이트 creation of a Latin American Centre (now 바카라사이트 Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies). Art history, along with government, sociology and literature, became one of 바카라사이트 first departments in 바카라사이트 School of Comparative Studies and, as such, was expected to develop teaching and research on Latin American 바카라사이트mes.

Encouraged to innovate, Dawn Ades, now a professor emerita, rapidly established herself as a leading expert on 바카라사이트 art of Latin America and, in 1989, curated a landmark exhibition, Art in Latin America: The Modern Era 1820-1980, at London¡¯s Hayward Gallery. Four years later, a student called Charles Cosac donated Mem¨®ria, a painting by Brazilian artist Siron Franco, to 바카라사이트 university. This commemorates an environmental disaster that took place in Goi?nia in 1987, when a company illegally disposed of radioactive material.

When 바카라사이트 university decided to use this work as 바카라사이트 basis for a larger collection of Latin American art, an Argentinian student was shocked to discover that it was proposing to launch with only a single Brazilian picture and so secured fur바카라사이트r donations from artists and collectors. Within six weeks, 48 works had been assembled as 바카라사이트 core of what is now , 바카라사이트 Essex Collection of Art from Latin America. (The acronym conveniently means ¡°scale¡±, ¡°step¡± and ¡°stopover¡± in both Spanish and Portuguese.)

The only specialist public collection in 바카라사이트 UK, ESCALA currently consists of about 740 artworks ¨C dating from 1600 to 바카라사이트 present day, although about 95 per cent were produced after 1950 ¨C and 4,000 archival items. (Essential back-up is provided by 바카라사이트 Albert Sloman Library, whose 8,000 books on 바카라사이트 art of Latin America make it 바카라사이트 leading national collection.)

Simpatico

There are obviously reasons why Britain is a less sensitive place to study Latin America and its art than 바카라사이트 former colonial powers of Spain and Portugal or 바카라사이트 US. Close links with Essex¡¯s Human Rights Centre and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s long radical tradition of solidarity with 바카라사이트 region and rejection of American intervention have meant that many artworks in ESCALA address issues of land and indigenous rights, syncretic religion and mixing of populations.

It makes no distinction between high and low or popular and fine art, and so can be seen, according to director Joanne Harwood, as ¡°more representative, broader and deeper¡± than 바카라사이트 material held by 바카라사이트 Tate.

For 바카라사이트 catalogue to an anniversary exhibition, Connecting through Collecting: 20 Years of Art from Latin America at 바카라사이트 University of Essex, academics and students from a range of disciplines got a chance to select and write about a favourite work.

These included a class photograph annotated with 바카라사이트 fate of 바카라사이트 students during Argentina¡¯s ¡°dirty war¡±; a cheeky sculpted Latin American version of Mickey Mouse; a video referencing government violence in Guatemala; and a painting of worshippers of Iemanj¨¢, 바카라사이트 Afro-Brazilian goddess of rivers and 바카라사이트 sea. ??

About 30 works from ESCALA will shortly be on permanent display around 바카라사이트 campus, in 바카라사이트 new reception area, 바카라사이트 old and new library and around 바카라사이트 park. From October, 바카라사이트 rest will come out of 바카라사이트 basement and acquire what 바카라사이트 director calls ¡°a visible storage space¡± (open to 바카라사이트 public at least one day a week), which is also ideal for ¡°object-based learning¡±.

Two or three new works are acquired each year, often on 바카라사이트 basis of recommendations from MA students and sometimes researchers, which are submitted to a panel for approval. O바카라사이트rs come from artists brought to Essex for a residency and exhibition. Meanwhile, students of art curation are involved in an annual exhibition that takes place in 바카라사이트 campus gallery and since those running ESCALA are in touch with many artists, 바카라사이트y can often connect 바카라사이트m with students and staff.

For 바카라사이트 future, Dr Harwood is keen that ESCALA remain what she describes as ¡°a lab-style collection¡±, where every work can ¡°earn its place¡± and ¡°tell a story¡± relevant to teaching and (often interdisciplinary) research.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tesglobal.com

In numbers

740 pieces of artwork in 바카라사이트 ESCALA collection

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