Brittany H. Hyatt and Dr. Douglas J. Weatherford, Spanish and Portuguese
Background Information
At the time of the arrival of Columbus in 1492, the indigenous Taíno civilization pervaded the island of Hispaniola (now home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic). However, as a result of disease and persecution, the Taíno population would all but disappear within fifty years. The annihilation was so complete, in fact, that the conquering Spaniards had to import African slaves to compensate for the loss of labor. Despite the limited influence of the Taínos in the modern Dominican’s life and ancestry, aspects of this once flourishing culture continue to appear in Dominican art.
While in the Dominican Republic, I interviewed various artists, curators, and critics of modern art, as well as conducted library research using the resources available at the PUCMM, the local university, and found many examples of art incorporating indigenous elements. As I began my investigations, I set out with two goals: to study how Dominican artists have depicted and included Taíno culture in their works and to better understand the significance of Taíno heritage to Dominican artists. I will address my findings in each of these areas.
Artistic Depictions of Taínos
Most early twentieth century depictions of the Taínos and their culture tended to be visually accurate and static. At mid-century, Paul Giudicelli pioneered greater exploration with the elements of this culture as he employed soil to imitate Taíno rock drawings. However, it was the 1973 construction of The Museum of the Dominican Man in Santo Domingo to house artifacts from the excavations of Taíno sites that provided an impetus for the Post – Taíno movement (De los Santos). Some artists chose to incorporate Taíno elements, such as ceremonial cemis and carvings into their work, while others focused on the Taínos and their history.
Much variation exists in the incorporation of indigenous elements, and this art falls into many different stylistic categories, including cubism, surrealism, realism, and pop art. The abstract works often seem more passionate and powerful than those utilizing a realistic style. The most prolific and prominent artist of Post – Tainism is Antonio Guadalupe, an artist still working in Santo Domingo. His works are displayed throughout The Museum of the Dominican Man. He incorporates various elements of Taíno culture in a very tight and compact collage form. The titles are often crucial to understanding the meaning of his complex canvases. Examples of his works include his Behique and Taína series.
Significance of Taíno Heritage to Dominican Artists
Through my investigations, I concluded that the Taíno culture, to many contemporary Dominican artists, signifies a national identity which Dominicans (a genetically mixed population) can call their own. This is in spite of the fact that Dominican heritage finds a better genetic foundation in African roots rather than indigenous populations. I believe that the Dominican use of the Taíno culture as an art form is most often a search for and return to these relatively unknown native roots. Some of the works of modern artists especially evidence a desire to connect this past with present experience, such as Elvis Avilés’s Muro Taíno, which combines simplistic Taíno-looking symbols with modern phrases on a graffiti-like canvas.
I am also convinced, however, that Taíno elements have occasionally been incorporated into Dominican modern art as a symbol of resentment for suffering and oppression at the hands of dominant cultures. For instance, Ramon Oviedo’s Caonabo, First Political Prisoner in America portrays the suffering of the Taínos through a stylistic allusion to Picasso’s Guernica. Currently, many Dominicans find themselves in difficult situations, especially financially. Some continue to trace these difficulties back to the colonists’ treatment of the Taínos. Danilo de los Santos, a Dominican artist and art critic, commented that much of the Post-Taíno movement came about during the 500th anniversary of Columbus. In the midst of the “celebration,” it was a time to remember injustices toward Dominicans and reflected itself in the use of the Taíno culture in art.
Conclusion
The study of art in the Dominican Republic has not yet reached the level of maturity it has in many areas of the world. This posed a difficulty to my research, as the majority of my investigations had to be conducted through personal interviews and required travel to locate resources. As the study of art matures, it will be interesting to watch how the study of Dominican art continues to grow and change.
This investigation was a very valuable experience to me to not only help me develop my Spanish communication and research skills, but also to help me better understand the Taíno and Dominican cultures. I had the opportunity to contribute to a relatively unknown field since few publications in English exist on this topic. Additionally, I exposed other students in my study abroad program to Dominican art through a class presentation and taking students with me to visit museums. My mentor especially appreciated the art images I collected to enhance his lectures about the Age of Discovery at BYU. So much understanding of Dominican culture remains to be gleaned from the study of their art. As we come to understand the history and artistic productions of a people, especially regarding themselves, we will better come to understand their present culture.