Scherezade Garcia - Energy into painting
By Marianne de Tolentino
These are the ways in Santo Domingo. For years a situation remains stable and without change.
All of a sudden, a rejuvenating change, sensitive, at an accelerated pace. It happened with art and women.
They have always had a presence but, apart from a few, women artists were lacking strength and creative
enthusiasm so neccessary for an imposing position in the arts. Women photographers became known and
the paintings have grown in quality with talent to follow. We believe that an event such as "Women and
Dominican Arts Today" organized by Mirna Guerrero and Danilo de los Santos has contributed to this
form of conscience taking.
Today, at the Museum of modern Art, uncontrollable in its rhythm of individual and group exhibits,
a young woman is showing her second personal collection : Scherezade Garcia. The first showing, held
at "Centro de Arte Nouveau," awoke deep interest for her promising work and as testimony, a catalog
accompanying the exhibit showed evidence of these signs. The artist has again with a second catalog; a roll
of canvas silk-screened with text and images, indicated the promise of her artistic talent. The catalog
reflects Scherezade's enthusiasm and her non-conformist personality although a more conventional catalog
could document much more.
Scherezade Garcia paintings are a whirlwind of colors and brush strokes conforming to her
exuberant compositions. Within her forms she emphasizes virtuosity, a liberal vision within the limits
of circumspection. This exhibit equally homogenous, fluid and diverse by way of the artist's precocious
virtue outlines her ease and confidence. For this reason we speak of prose, discovering a vast dictionary,
natural articulation, and warm expressiveness.
Naturally, as with all paintings, the psyche and unconscious are manifested through gestured
imprint and eloquent spontaneity. We ca not assess these images as hallucinations or unrestrained.
A harmonious and thought out modulation of space with the same spontaneity intervenes through
careful study and intensive practice. These paintings though in constant movement and transformation
do not lose its assertive thematic.
Scherezade Garcia's "Los Angeles caidos" are far from expressing mysticism or religion. One of
the paintings in particular clearly refers to angels; but here the cherubs call upon mischief rather than
prayer and spiritual absorption. The fall of, sometimes Luciferian, fallen angels refers to an ample and
historical world leading to a final ascent into heroism.
Scherezade is singularly impressed by Velazquez, absorbing physiognomies, postures and
compositional structures. In fact, the Spanish fieriness is apparent in the extreme energy and spirit of
the fine arts. More than underlying faces, bodies, and hands as forms of fantasy life like creatures; we
instant present in that actual moment. Her dictionary encompasses other portraits of famous people
from Caribbean history and independence. We believe to recognize in full neo-napolitan costumes,
Toussant-Louverture and Dessalines.
Scherezade Garcia must continue, as part of her journey, to materialize in her paintings her
physical, sentimental and intellectual energy. Scherezade is an always be a rebel and replevying hero.
Marianne de Tolentino for "Listin Diario" newspaper
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
1995