Dominican Art - Paintings

Overall, how would you rate Dominican painting styles?


  • Total voters
    15

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
All of the above.

Dominican art, like art in general, is too diverse and spans many styles and levels of quality. If I say "excellent", I'd mean Yoryi Morel, Iris Perez, Guillo Perez, and many, many other outstanding Dominican artists but not certain other big name artists whose work I personally dislike and the ubiquitous oil paintings featuring a campo scene + flamboy?n.
 

dulce

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
2,524
211
63
I agree with Chiri. I have seen some excellent art in the DR. What most tourist see with the mass produced crap they sell on the beach is poor. (in my opinion)
 

pedrochemical

Silver
Aug 22, 2008
3,410
465
0
I agree with Chiri. I have seen some excellent art in the DR. What most tourist see with the mass produced crap they sell on the beach is poor. (in my opinion)


Agreed - however it is possible to find the odd gem tucked away at the back of all that crap.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
All of the above.

Dominican art, like art in general, is too diverse and spans many styles and levels of quality. If I say "excellent", I'd mean Yoryi Morel, Iris Perez, Guillo Perez, and many, many other outstanding Dominican artists but not certain other big name artists whose work I personally dislike and the ubiquitous oil paintings featuring a campo scene + flamboy?n.

Haha, I have one of those! On the way back from Jarabacoa with my suegro around 1990 we stopped and met an artist [J.E. Urena] in his gallery, somewhere on the winding road home.

A few years later we visited a guy in SD with a gallery, Leonardo Morel, and bought several of his oils. No flamboyans.

AE
 

dulce

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
2,524
211
63
I like the idea of what is in those paintings but I was never inclined to look for a gem.
Some of my friends liked and bought them and I didn't discourage them. To each his own. The vendors do work hard for the $$. I wouldn't begrudge them a pay.
 

pedrochemical

Silver
Aug 22, 2008
3,410
465
0

The cute Caribbean scenes and the Taino symbols are obvious but I have always wondered why all the faux Picasso pieces?

Although I am sure this thread is not about beach art.........
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
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I've taken visitors shopping for "art" in these tourist markets and there are some horrors on display - remind me of the art room at school when people would lovingly reproduce seventies rock album covers - only far worse.
 

dulce

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
2,524
211
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You are right Pedro, it is not about beach art. We know that because we lived/live there and have seen much better!
 

pedrochemical

Silver
Aug 22, 2008
3,410
465
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One freaky experience I had involved a local artist who painted a piture, from a photo, of my daughter. I made the missus take the original back as it was total crap - obviously due to a lack of both effort and talent.
Anyway, he had another try which I eventually accepted. The original still hangs on a wall on a main street surrounded by other crap paintings for sale to tourists.
Fortunately it looks nothing like the subject but it freaks me out every time I drive past.
 

yacht chef

Bronze
Sep 13, 2009
1,588
17
38
how do i find these artest in jarabacoa. and what museum in santiago are you talking about center lion where thay also roll cagars i well go tomarow.
 

Gabriel78

New member
Jan 2, 2013
6
0
0
Really impressive, i love it. It is easy for every painter like me. Because i am smaller painter. I think the trend of Dominican painting style was finish few years ago but now i am seeing it is come Excellent rating.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
The beach and stall vendor paintings, I would consider as Haitian Art and not Dominican. Many of these remind me of paintings on velvet found in the US although I do like the paintings of pictographs and Taino symbols.

LTSteve
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
scuse me. it seems like i voted on that poll and said POOR. but i was wrong. yes, the crap sold at the beach is, well - crap. but dominican artists bring in some fantastic talent too. an aunt of miesposo is a painter, gaining some recognition now, aracelis brugal. her daughter is an art dealer in SD.

and i'll be damned but i love flamboyant! :) tia aracelis is making a cuadro of a flamboyan tree for us :) but she does it differently than standard paintings: very detailed, vivid, with slightly exaggerated features. she'd often do only one branch, or a single flower even. very beautiful.
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,370
3,150
113
If people want to see real Dominican art, visit the Bellapart Museum in Santo Domingo (its above the Honda dealership on ave. Kennedy) or even the Museum of Modern Art in Gazcue (behind the National Theater.) I prefer the Bellapart, but in both there is plenty of good local art on display and they have temporary exhibits too.

In Bonao there is an art museum dedicated to C?ndido Bid?, one of the most celebrated Dominican artists.