Yo Te Negaré Ante Mi Padre y Mi Escuela

Just when you though that no one would be offended by art, the Baeza show happened. Whatever the rumors, criticisms, or disapprovals that went on, one thing was left clear. And that was the strong commitment, not only from students but also from faculty, that work should be respected and cared for when its liberties are at risk. Someone did point out that at the beginning of Cooper guards stood strong as they let women come into the school to draw from naked plasters cast. It is within the nature of the school to care for its student's ambitions.

Interestingly enough the reaction of some people to the show brought up the same questions that the work tried to criticize. It is not the first time that popular religious imagery is used as a base for a different composition. But is this imagery juxtaposed with a whole different agenda that offended some people. The strict catholic dogmas the show was trying to portray as unrealistic and at times unfair, were the same dogmas that prevented some from looking at the show. Although subtlety was not part of Baeza's vocabulary the small hints of humor and cultural reference reminds you of a contemporary issue that surprisingly, as we saw before the show, still exists.

But prints will be prints. And after all, they showed again their power to stir things up. The show had a very ambitious collection of techniques, varying from woodcuts, silkscreen to the painful photogravure- all executed with a great sense of confidence. I was happy to see the installation next to the elevator doors because it brought the printed matter out of its nicely crafted frame and used its reproductive qualities for a different purpose. It was refreshing after all to see a senior show with such a dedication to the print.
S.A.