Paradise for a Tourist Brochure 1990

Freddy Rodríguez made "Paradise for a Tourist Brochure" using mixed media on canvas, and it's a real trip. The colours are bright but there’s this faded, almost ghostly quality, like an old postcard left out in the sun. Look at the way he layers images and text. There’s a newspaper collage, a big blue butterfly, the word ‘Paraiso’ repeated, and red handprints down at the bottom. It feels like a conversation between different voices and places. The butterfly, such a big, bold presence, contrasts with the faded newsprint and the repeated word. It’s like a symbol of transformation, maybe even escape, set against a backdrop of everyday life and political reality. Those little red handprints almost look like a cry for help against the dark paint. The whole thing hums with this tension between beauty and struggle, hope and despair. It reminds me a bit of Jean-Michel Basquiat in its mashup of street art, collage, and poetic expression. It's definitely a piece that keeps you thinking, and feeling.