The CAAM as the continuation of twentieth century canarian modernism

              THE CAAM
AS THE CONTINUATION
OF TWENTIETH CENTURY
CAÑARÍAN MODERNISM
BY JONATHAN A L L EN
lii general, sincc llic Hi'iiaishaiii'C lo llie
eiid (>r ihc l\\(-iili(ili (•i'iiliiiN. llic
i'('lal¡()iislii|) hciwccii ••|ii()(l('i'ii¡l\ and
liisUiiical CNolulidii ¡II Spaiii. Iia^ liceii
iiii^laMc. liinilcd and ciiiiiicnlK
di^coiiliiuiiis. ()pil\ grcal crcalois likc
(i(i\a. Dalí and \ clázqHiv liaxc nianaiicd
lo o\crconii' llic lalcliil polilical
osc¡llal¡oii> ol'llic Nailon, dial lia\e
coinpo.scd llic l'ollow inu pallcín: inlenso
ycai's oí rcaclion. liadilioiíalisrn and
roiiscí'\alisni dial ai'c oppoM'd lo hrlcf
inoincnl^ oí ('\|iari-,¡on aiid lolcrance. Al
llu' ciid of llic ninclccnlli cciniii\. willi
(lie coiLseíAaliNC-liheial allernaliiiíf
|iailnei'sli¡p ol'Cáiiovas and .Saaasia llie
i'oiinli-y enjoys Iwo deeadcs oí relalive
slaliiliiy and seeiii-¡l\. Il i.s durinu- llii.s era
ol social pcace and concerled pi'ogress
dial soinc innsciini projccls coniparalilc
10 llioM- of die lüiropcan bonrgcosic are
clalioialcd. 'riiere was llieii in JMirope a
clcar lierilagc-cons(>r\ ¡ng iiiciilalll\. a
\a!Sl (wliiliilion pioui'aninic dial waiiled
lo prcsciU lo llie Kcncral pnhlic llic tircal
acliicveinenls oí Ancienl Tinies. llie
.\liddlc Ages and llic Raro(|nc ¡n ailislic
leriiis. 1(11' lile acsdiclic inovcnicnls oí
llicsc cpocli-, were llieii iindcrgoing
rcNÍsion and sininllanconsK l'eeding llie
ccleclieisin ol ninelecnlli cenlnrx
arcliiicciiire.
Tile Rciiaissance in llie Cañarles liad a
nionicnl oí •'Allanlic' splendoni',
nieiging willi llie liisl inaniícslalions of
lile liaro(|iic spiíil. (iairasco de higneroa
was lile poel wlio in llie sixlecnlli
cenlnr\ lirsi crcaled an islaiid
icoiiograpli\. wlio developed an acslliclie
plieiioiiieiiologA dial was dislinel¡\c ol
(Canarias. Ii is llic lieginning of a
ridalionsliip willi llie niodeniilN of oiir
Weslern Iradilion. Wc woiild liase to
move 011 lo llic seeond liall oí' llic
eigiilccnlli ecnlinx lo deserilie anollier
cliapler crucial lo llie iiiodernil\ ol llie
islaiíds. .lose d(> \ iera \ (ilaxijo. (da\i¡o
\ fajardo, and lielore llic \ izronde di'
Buen Paso liad l'oiinded llic crilii'al iiiiiid
of lile l-'nliglilciinicnl. As liappciicil
llirouglil Spaiii. lili' Socicix o I f rieiids of
llie Nalioii. (Sociedad de .Amigos del
País) was sel np. aiiil al llie sanie lime
llie saloii ol lile \lari|nis de \ a \ a s \
(nimón floiirislied in llic cilx of La
Laguna, reiieiil'c. I lii\\e\ci'. diere is
lillle dial can e(|iialize llie aiadcmic and
miiscimi acli\il\ in .Madrid al llie lime.
^1 lie .Vcadcimof Siiii fCrnando
ralionalizcs ils s\llaliiis wliilc llie Ro\al
-\i'l (^ollei'lion gradiialK coii^liimcs llic
hasis of lile Prado. Tlie minisler .Manuel
Codo\ maiiages lo o\\ n more lliaii lOOO
ai'l wcirks. \\ c can l lalk alioiil a |>iil(lic
ailislic ciilliire in llic islands lili llie
seeond halldf llie iwciiliclli ccnliir\.
Tlie lüiliglilcmncnl lias hcc-ii llic
prerogalivc of ihc saloii. ol ihe
iii<li\idiial. of coordinalcd cleclivc
afíniilies. il isn'l imlil llie ninclccnlli
cenlni'N dial scliools and piiblic
inslilnlcs hccoine cdiicalionalK slalilc
and so are alilc lo compele willi llie
edncalion ol llic .jcsnils and llie
/Xiignslines.
Kiiliglilencd ctliicalion dnriiig llie
(>iglileeiilli ccnlnrx is rednced lo a small
circlc of leacliers al llie Seminar, lo
ccrlain episcopal cl¡(|iies and lo
arislocralic oolerics. ddic lilicral canarian
bonrgeoisie dniini; llic ninclccnlli
CtNKO AIIANIICO Di AtTf MOmeNO
rciilijíN is ahlc lo Uiiiii Nhidiid s
ac(|u¡CM'cncc ¡ii llic Ircc Porls iiiojccl ol
1832. ¡I liijll(U llic (iahiiiiic Lilci'ario.
(Lilei'af\ Cliili). íinaiiccs ccrlaiii
|iHlilicalii)íi> and l(•a\(•^ hcliiiiil a liberal
iii('iii(]|\. The ail oí lile i'iirlilcciilli
cciilinx was (•ccIc^iaMlic. Flii' ail oC llic
íii-l liaír oí llic iiiiKicciilli (•(•iiliii-\ is
aUo larucK rcliüioiis. and rcxcaU
iKilahIc dccadcriic iii M\\r and niodris.
Ini|)rc>.-.i()nisni airivcs late, and il comes
as a siipiTlieial iniio\alion. a ."-kin-decp
sulislie irnilalion llial iaiiores (Jezajuie s
eoneeplnal i'e\()lini(in. Manel s
d(>conslrneli(]n oí ilassie;d pose. .Monel I
s(>iialislic w alerlilicíi. (iaiiuiiin s
syinholisni and iinieiiiess. Impi'essiouisin
in die island ironieallx empliasi/es
liadilionalisl rnral icons. anil is nselnl as
\arialion of a slilT porlrail lra<lil¡on. il
diere ai'e sonie e.xeeplions lo die iiiie,
(like soine woiks ol ('ai'ló dial are more
psveliologieal). I lie íornial and
eoneepliial hreaklliroiifílis of dial ollier
Impressionism aren I e\('ii siiidied. and
ils loree lies mie.xplored and imiapped
imlil lile emeracnee oF a posl-s\ IIIIHÍIÍSI
painler. \éslor de la Torre.- llie local
socieu and ils lionrgeois peers are
largeK conser\ ali\ e. llieir fice lliinkiiifi
lieinií e.xpresscd oiil\ in lilieralisi
economics. Romanlicisin in llie liiie .\rls
is \iriiialK non-e.xisianl ¡n llie islaiíds.
\\ (• lia\c no Inseli. iiol)(>d\ dial e\('ii
imilales CDXÜ iii liis hlacker iiioods.
I^omanlicism ¡oiiis foices widí
cosiimihrismo and produces ni\lli
orienled ¡nsliricalions for nalionalism.
I lie "nolile sa\;iu'e ' e.xisls in order lo
Philiinic Oliiii. riiii.ssdíiil Ijjiiiciiiirc rccihi- l<i nirld riel l'iiiiicr Cóiixiil. l')-f.). (;<iiirlcsy .\liisi'(i (le
Bellas .\ries de \ eiic/iieta.
\alidale nalionalisl aspií'alions and
deinands. Iliiis llie revoliilioiiar\ aspeéis
oí Konianlicisiii siirrender lo Secmidino
Delfiado s l'ailed independenlism or lo
lile psi'iido-lilieralism oí' llie leonisla
parl\, I he ps\clie remaiiis slaiíiianl.
imjerked l>\ sxniholism oi' l)\ llie Sliirm
iiiid Draiiíí. .\o írozeii xoNage lo llie
Arclic lo liiid die iilliinale ideiililx ol'
man. no liard cliiiil) iip llii' nionlains lo
conl'ronl .Naliire s i;rand(Mir willi llie
iiiiier rafíiniis oí ilie ego. Siicli •liniir
poeliN dosn'l e.xisi xisnalK in llie
Cañarles. Tliis iinhorn idiiianlic surge
w ill siiddeiiK appear in llie painliiig
• |]ereiii(;e'' hy Néslor de la Torre, and in
llie Siirrealisiii oC Osear Domínguez.
Tliis prologue oiiK' wislies lo siiggest
dial llie heuinnings ol' Cañarían
"iii()diTnil\ " are lianl and ("xlrciiiolv
inodosl. li doesn't forecast Krcat lliiriüs.
to tlic coiitrary, it sccins to (•¡fTuiiiscribe
lis lo a crippled rolatioiisliip w iili
niodernity. suCforiiiu; (he mediocrity ol'
centralist adininislralioii. ignoiod aml
scorticd hy a local boLirgooisip cotUciil
witl) croctiiig preiiy falcados, llic CAAM
has lo í'iglit. tliougli il ¡s iiot iniínodiallv
ovidoiil. against tlie void that lliis
cvolulioiiary [Mjverly lias Ipfl us. Il is
oiily lilis coiiliiry that brings to (Canarias
inodcrnity iii ¡is most roitiplelc and
internalional forni.
riie iiicipicnt univorsality of tlic
Caiiariaii historical avant-gardc isii't a
mere accideiit. ñor is h a nivslerious
acliieveiiienl.
(Aibisni and Siirrealisiii arrived with a
"planned" prograinrne, willi a catecliisiii
and with "rules of tlie gaine ", sucli as
dcvised and proached by André Bretón,
in his momonts of glory in the 20's to
bis Parisian deíadenre in the 4() s and
30 s. Bretón s visil lo (Canarias in 1').'55
to |)reseiit tiie Internalional Snrrealisl
Lxhibilion. confirined (^anarian terrilorv
as part oí the surreal revolution. The
eoni()ined infhíences of Kiilnrisin,
(aibisni and Siirrealisni that setliieed the
ininds of Domingo Pérez Minik, Agustín
Kspinosa. Pestaña Nól)rega and
Cutiérre/ Albeio and Juan Manuel
rrujillo. are the innovative ferment that
opens the gales of the avaiil-garde. A
parallel aclivity will be the rescue,
direcled by Juan Manuel 'Iriijilio, of the
work of sonie of the enliglileiied classies.
like \ iera v Cllavijo or (lairasco.
Osear Domínguez re|>lied exceptionalK to
ibis Spanish and líuropean proclamation,
eventuallv beeoniing a formative
¡nfluenee in the aesthetie bistory of
Siirreaiisin. witii bis aiilomatic-stvle
ereation. "Decalixtinanie"'. Filis technique
recalled Víctor Hugos "|)orlioirs''.
powerfiil shadows of the Romantic
imagination taken to its most
ex|)ressionist consequeuces, and the Icsser
kiiowii "deiidrites" hy Ceorge Sand.
Contiiiuation of ibis late, pre-syinbolisl
manifestation of the Romantic are
paintings like tiic bewitcbing "(iiianclie
Cavo". {(aieva de Ciuanches). or the
machine that satirizes the repression of
the I loly ln<]uisilioiK "Klectrosexual
Sewing Machine \ liotli bv Osear
Domínguez. Together with Domínguez s
output we can iiu'iude tlie first part of
Juan Ismaei's work, more indebted to
Joan .Vliró and Dalí, with its melancholic
ruins and faiitastic characters that evoke
Vi altean s harle<juins.
rílese aspects are more related to a
Kuropean, imiversali.st manifestation.
I lowever. there is a inore "nalional' and
regional renewal of aesthetie based
exclusivelv on the islands, thoiigh it also
liad internalional iin|)lications. ihal
centred round the "Ksciiela Lujan Pérez'
and a groiip of voung artists. Rafael
.Vionzón, Jorge Oramas, Plácido Fleitas,
Santiago Santana. luluardo (Gregorio are
soine of the members of the so-i-alled
"Indigenismo \ Thev decided lo renovale
(Janarian social inuiges. to search for new
feínenine and masculine |)rototypes. lo
record the less cliarming Iraits of insular
geogra|)hv. like the deserl appearance of
the soutli and its flora. Siich a regionalist
and national coinpromise was implicil in
the .VIexican avant-garde, in the muralist
ino\einent. and similarh some of the
Kscuela s didactic ideas were derived
íroin the theories of forres (iarcía and
llie inagic realist aura [lossibK taken
from a book bv Iranz Boh.
It is Kduardo Westerdahls personalilv
that acls as a plalform for projecting the
(lanarian arl production of tliese
vanguard years, and as a filter for the
differenl Kuropean art tendencies in the
20 s and .'50 s. In the magazine "(¡aceta
de .Arte \ that liad world wide diffusion.
bolli Surrealism. Cubisin and other
forins of the avant-garde. along with the
more conser\ative (ierinan and llalian
realism, that would one dav becoine the
decadent art of fascism (allhoiigh al the
lime its contení liad not been [loliticized
and deviated). foiind ex|)ress¡on.
Westerdlial sponlaneouslv iniliated a
dynainic that the (),\AM has since
inslitulionalized: niaking Canarias a
inagnetic territorv. attracting great
tbinkers and artists as visitors. and
establishing a relatiousbip that went
beyond the writing of an article for a
magazine. riiiis a comnmnication
nelwork began, that siluated Canarias al
a hy[)ollielical centre, an off-centre that
took advanlage of its traditional
gposlríilcgic iiiiporlaiicc a^ porl ofcall
011 llie ocean i-oulos lo AfVica aiul
Amcrira. Hiis. iii rsHcnco, ih llic íonn ni
a riiodoniiziiif; (Kriamic. llial l^duardo
and Maud WVsicidalil si-i ¡ii inolion
liiridh and unpii'lciiliousK. urilil dir
bi-iilal ruiiliirc of du- (axil W ar iii 1930.
Tiip CAAM is die rcsull ol'diflncín
noods aiid af^|)¡ralioiis. aldiougli ihc
liiridainíMilal onc ¡s lh(~ coiilinuilx of dic
riiodcni. a\anl-(>:ai'tlc Nocalioii of llic
(^anaiN Islaiids, tlie dpsirc lo reaii in
soinc \\a\ lo llie domands tlial lile l'ir-sl
a\aiil-n;ai'de curi'ciils eslablislied. Iliiis.
llic surr-calisl (•\li¡l)¡lion. •Bclween llic
oíd WOiid and 'l'lic Nrw. ("iMilrc el
\u('\(> y (>1 \ icjo Mundo "). ¡s lli(> link
llial joiiis ioc)(>ilicr again llic hrokcn
cliain. \ niodcinisl xocalion dial has
lii'onglil alioiil an alniosl c'on)|)l('lc
chango in iho ciihural possibihllcs of dic
a\pragp (.anai'ian man. l^cIbrThand, oiiK
ihe coiLsidcrahlc and .seHlcss cflorls of
gallci'ies and sonic ¡nsliliilion.s conhl lo a
(logree reiiietK ihe e.\chis¡on of (he
ishiiids ri'oni niajor lMjr'0|)ean cnhnral
eii'cihis. iMu'ope was nol al all wihhig (o
inehide ihe (lanar'ies in an\ eiihur'al
il¡nerar'\. olher' ihaii in llie siipeifieial
¡inages of loniisl. h-i.sure. The C.i\^i\ de
Colón. h)inided in 1'),")1. was foi- llirce
deeades alniosl llie oiily \ehicle for
inohilizing lMii-opean-(^anarian en llura I
inilialives. and ihe firsi enliu dial
.slailed lo ralionalize deliale and
piililiei/e ihe findings of iinesligalion
iiilo oiir ••Iri-eonlinenlal iileiiliu. (The
(ianarian-.Aineiieau I jislorieal
Svinposiiun wa.s foiinded iii l')7() under
I he giiidanee of l'i'aneiíico Morales
Padión). Prior lo llie big surrcahsl
e.xhibilion al llie (iA,\M we liad seen
anolher'one al ihi- \Cgnela (iallerx llial
also reerealed llie spiril of 1').3.j.
I'ariha I lajiuiiadi. I more lorkcd iloor (il
('(ícli knoc/i: irht'n lilslory slct'p.-i if sjicaks in
(livdiii.s. 19(5'). ()¡| i)M camas. I)ipl\c
Ciourlcsy (iliiisliiic Binfíiii (ialiciv.
.New ^ (irk.