Viredo Espinosa

Viredo Espinosa (14 October 1928 – 26 August 2012) was a Cuban Abstract Expressionist artist. He was a member of the Cuban art collective known as Los Once. Alongside Los Once, Viredo brought abstract styles to Cuban art that had previously only been seen in Europe or the US. Viredo's works include paintings, engravings, murals, and more.

Viredo Espinosa
Born(1928-10-14)October 14, 1928
Regla, Cuba
DiedAugust 26, 2012(2012-08-26) (aged 83)
Costa Mesa, CA
MovementAfro-Cuban Art / Abstract Expresionism
Spouse(s)Alicia Espinosa

Viredo spent his early artist years in Regla, Cuba before fleeing to the United States to escape the Revolutionary regime.

Biography

Viredo was born in 1928 in Regla, a small town across the bay from Havana. He attended San Alejandro art school, founded in 1818.[1]

In 1952 he was invited to exhibit at the Sociedad Nuestro Tiempo in the show entitled, "Fifteen Young Painters and Sculptors". Only eleven artists ultimately showed work and the art critic Joaquin Texidor, in a favorable review in "Tiempo en Cuba", referred to the exhibitors as "The Group of Eleven"[2] (Grupo de los Once),[3] a name that followed the young artists for the rest of their careers. Other artists in Los Once include Agustín Cárdenas and Hugo Consuegra. The group's influence is generally considered to be significant as they introduced a new international style to Cuban art at mid century, particular abstract and non-figurative art.

In 1965, Viredo decided that he and his wife must leave Cuba due to the political situation. In February 1969, he saw Cuba for the last time as his plane departed for Miami.

Viredo's residency in Miami was short. He participated in local galleries and continued painting. In 1972, he moved to California[4] and continued his work. Within 5 years he was able to do painting full-time, with Cuba as his subject matter. Viredo worked within the Cuban community, designed for the Cuban American Scholarship fund and donated art to raise money for charity. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he began receiving awards, like "La Palma Espinada" from the Cuban American Cultural Institute.

On August 26, 2012, Viredo died of vascular disease at a Costa Mesa nursing facility[5] at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, Alicia.[6]

Recent exhibits[7]

Solo
  • 2010: "Viredo - Music, Myth, and Memory" - Old Town Gallery, Tustin, California
  • 2008: John Wayne Airport Exhibit - Orange County, California
  • 2007: "Homage to Mondrian" - Old Town Gallery, Tustin, California

Group
  • 2006: "Featured Artist Viredo" - Bear Street Gallery, Santa Ana, California
  • 2004: "The 'Human' Figure" - Alex Hailey Gallery, Gardena, California
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References
  1. "Biography". Viredo. Beard Publishing. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  2. "Abstraction in Cuba". Pan American Art. Pan American Art Projects. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  3. "Grupo de los Once". En Caribe. Funglode. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  4. Carlyle, Erin (2008-07-18). "Irvine artist paints sights of Cuba". OC Register. Orange County Register. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  5. Batet, Janet. "Viredo Espinosa, famed Cuban Painter, dies". Viredo. Miami Herald. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  6. Nelson, Valerie. "Viredo Espinosa dies; Cuban abstract expressionist artist was 83". The Washington Post. The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  7. Viredo: The Artist and his Work (1 ed.). Beard Publishing. 2002. p. 135. ISBN 978-0972381307.
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