Art & Ideas: Inspired by artists of Latin America

Western art made by men has generally been at the forefront when we study the art movements and art history of the 20th Century. In this series of workshops we look at some female Latin American artists whose practices are as broad and compelling as their more well-known European male counterparts.

Political conflicts that took place in several South American countries during the 20th century heavily influenced artists who had initially taken inspiration from European and North American art movements, who adapted them to reflect their local and regional context.

During these sessions, participants will have a chance to learn about these fascinating female artists, their personal and socio-political context and how this influenced their work besides exploring the techniques and artistic elements observed in each session to create responses following their own ideas.

In this one-day workshop we will be exploring art of resistance and protest and creating our own artworks inspired by the work of Olga Blinder.

Olga Blinder was born in Asunción, Paraguay in 1921 and passed away in 2008. She was a pedagogist, visual arts educator, director of the Dr. Olga Blinder Superior Art Institute from the National University of Asunción. She is the former director of the Escolinha de Arte – little school of art- of Paraguay in the Brazilian Cultural Mission.This was the first Paraguayan institution which based its pedagogy in the Education Through Art theories of Sir Herbert Read. a renown British art historian, philosopher and educator.

Blinder lived through very difficult historical periods in Paraguay such as the Chaco War in 1932 and the Civil War in 1947, plus The 35-year dictatorship of General Alfredo Stroessner from 1954 to 1989. Making art during Stroessner’s dictatorship was a form of resistance and survival due to the persecution people suffered. Arts and culture were deeply affected by this period. However, Blinder dedicated most of her work in visual arts to depict the fight for human rights and everyday struggles of Paraguayan people with a focus on motherhood and feminism, besides strongly advocating for arts education. In many cases, most of these artworks were not publicly exposed until a few years after the dictatorship was over in 1989.

All materials are provided but participants are encouraged to bring along materials/objects that they would like to incorporate into their work.

COURSE TUTOR: LUDMILA CENTURIÓN

Artist and educator Ludmila Centurión grew up in Asunción, Paraguay where she studied and worked before moving to the UK to complete a MA in Creative Arts in Education at The University of Exeter. After graduating in 2021, she has chosen to stay in England to continue exploring the arts, arts education, creativity and this country’s diverse cultures. She has over 10 years of teaching art to a broad range of students, from children to adults. Her studies and workshops draw on the ideas of British philosopher and art historian, Sir Herbert Read and her own cultural heritage.

Workshop attendees get 10% off all food and hot drinks at the Café Bar.

VENUE: EXETER PHOENIX

*Subject to a £1.50 ticketing system charge. We don’t charge this to make a profit. Find out more >>