EL CONQUISTADOR RESORT ART COLLECTION

E l C o n q u i s t a d o r R e s o r t A r t C o l l ec t i o n
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2
13
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11
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17
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NORTH
POOL
LOBBY LEVEL
TO
LAS CASITAS VILLAGE
NORTH POOL
ART WALK
Use the map to explore the
collection’s major works of art at
your own pace and convenience.
Most artists are represented by
several works of art at the resort.
SOUTH
POOL
16
7
1,2
ARTIST UNKNOWN
4
CARLOS CANCIO (SAN JUAN, 1961)
Life in the tropics takes center stage in these
two works. Presented as mosaics, the works
underscore the infinite variations of color,
texture, and density in Puerto Rico’s visual
world, and they invite the viewer to look at
the landscape, its flora and fauna, attentively
and with delight.
Following a long local tradition beginning with
Puerto Rican artist Francisco Oller, this work
suggests the centrality of the horse and its rider
in Caribbean life. This artist has surrounded
this symbol of Latino masculinity, however,
with the beauties of the landscape, and has
placed the bridle in the hand of a woman,
thereby redefining a woman’s role in society.
3
5
CARLOS CANCIO (SAN JUAN, 1961)
This young couple’s life on the beach is the
subject of this large-format work, which emphasizes the pleasures of the tropical coast:
the breeze, the sun, and outdoor life. This
piece portrays the essence of a carefree life
of pleasure.
CARLOS CANCIO (SAN JUAN, 1961)
One of the ocean’s great attractions is the
weightlessness one experiences there.
There is no greater sense of freedom than
being suspended in a medium that makes
us feel that gravity has been lightened.
To this freedom, the tropical ocean adds
the exoticism of a colorful, exuberant fauna
that invites us to explore new things.
6
CARLOS CANCIO (SAN JUAN, 1961)
12
CARLOS CANCIO (SAN JUAN, 1961)
Life on the coast is life in an in-between
space where unexpected things can happen:
playing, disguise, even nudity are signs of
that extravagance at seaside. In this piece,
the sky itself, with its colors, as well as the
sea and sand, accompany the figures, painting
them with their colors.
In a composition clearly influenced by
Surrealism, figures from the circus frolic
on the beach. The sand has become a
checkerboard pavement, as though it were
simultaneously inside and outside. The line
of the coast shares that hybrid nature: water
and land, hard and soft, dry and wet.
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13
LINDSAY DAEN
(DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND, 1923–
PUERTO RICO, 2001)
A body dancing freely is synonymous
with happiness, peace, and harmony
with its surroundings.
CARLOS CANCIO (SAN JUAN, 1961)
In a fantasy scenario that pays homage to
Picasso’s blue period and René Magritte’s
perspectival trompe--l’oeils, Carlos Cancio
fashions a dreamy architecture where the
sea and the waves become art and architecture
bringing nature close to home.
14
LINDSAY DAEN
Walking landward, a young man is returning
from the ocean with a seabird on his shoulder.
His calm attitude and easy stride communicate the peace of that other environment and
the joy of returning to land.
15
8
ÁNGEL BOTELLO (GALICIA , 1913–1986)
Under the imposing figure of a star, three
figures lay out the fruits of their harvest. The
closed eyes and raised heads indicate that
this is a ritual of thanksgiving for the earth’s
generosity.
9
ARNALDO ROCHE (SAN JUAN, 1955)
The abundance of the tropics is measured,
usually, by its extravagance, its bright colors,
and the density of its flora. In this work,
a wall of foliage prevents us from seeing
beyond, though it promises infinite verdure.
10
ÁNGEL BOTELLO (GALICIA, 1913–1986)
The couple is a symbol of harmony and social unity, of productivity and the future. This
piece, which shows the bodies of a man and
woman, makes us think of the relationship
between man and woman as the origin of the
world, and the ocean that surrounds the El
Conquistador Resort.
16
ÁNGEL BOTELLO (GALICIA, 1913–1986)
The modest body of a young woman adorns
this terrace. She looks out toward the ocean.
This scene of longing and yet of peace
inspires in the viewer a desire to enter the
landscape that she is observing.
ROBERT MOYA
(NEW YORK, 1935–BOSTON, 2008)
Abstraction is a genre that lends itself to
portrayal of the landscape in its density
and beauty. Here, the bright colors of
tropical vegetation attest to the richness
of the Caribbean’s visual space.
11
ÁNGEL BOTELLO (GALICIA , 1913–1986)
In the tradition of Spanish artist Esteban
Murillo’s children selling fruit, the little girl
portrayed in this piece, sitting on the ground,
is waiting with her goods for passers-by to
approach.
17
ÁNGEL BOTELLO (GALICIA, 1913–1986)
The contrast between the bronze of this
sculpture and the fluid space of the seashore
creates a privileged space where visitors are
invited to “lose their bodies” in
order to gain
harmony with nature.
FINAL
PMS 7427
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico