El Presidente 1967

Oswaldo Guayasamin made this painting called ‘El Presidente’ with oil paint and probably a lot of feeling! I can imagine him slathering on the paint, pushing it around, wiping it off, trying to capture something about power and the person who embodies it. There is a tension in the making, between trying to create a likeness and the expressive distortion of the figure. Just look at the way he painted the eyes, those bright blue eyes that stare right through you! Then there is the mouth, those teeth, like he's ready to bite. I think of other artists who wrestle with similar subjects like Picasso or Francis Bacon. Ultimately, this isn’t just a portrait of one person; it’s about a type of person, a type of power, that resonates across time. In the act of painting, Guayasamin is in dialogue with all the artists who have tried to capture something so elusive. The painting becomes a space where we, as viewers, can engage with these questions, and maybe find our own answers within the brushstrokes.