Story Location:
2301 KENTMERE PKWY
WILMINGTON, DE 19806
United States
Luis Crus Azaceta’s Oppression confronts viewers with an unsettling sense of urgency through its chaotic, vibrant, and forceful brushwork and intense imagery. Known for his "apocalyptic pop style," Azaceta, a Cuban-American painter, emerged as one of the most significant neo-expressionist artists in the 1980s. Shaped by his experience fleeing the Cuban Revolution and the isolation he felt after immigrating to the US, he creates art not for art’s sake, but as a direct response to the most pressing issues of his time. He addresses themes of violence, alienation, government mismanagement, the abuses and oppression of dictatorships, and the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis.
In Oppression, a distorted nude figure is confined within a narrow space between large streaks of white and a looming brown boot. The body twists awkwardly, outlined in an energized green against the dark background. Exaggerated features and a strained posture convey vulnerability and anxiety, while dripping, blood-like streaks across the back, arms, and legs intensify the sense of suffering. The figure’s stark white pupils heighten the emotional urgency, echoing the fiery resistance that Azaceta explains perfectly when he states, “I paint to kill cruelty, injustice, violence, ignorance, and hypocrisy.” The imposing boot powerfully conveys the feeling of forceful domination, while the figure’s anguished expression and vivid color palette communicate an angry, frustrated response to that oppression.
Azaceta views his work as both his voice and a weapon for change. As he explains, “I paint what I see around me… I am just a filter, a many-colored voice.” His depictions of the horrors of oppression with the resilience required for survival and freedom, invite me to reflect on current-day violence towards immigrants and protesters. It offers a visual language for the intense emotions surrounding these issues today, urging viewers not only to witness injustice, but to respond to it. Come be engrossed in Azaceta’s Oppression and be called to action.
Janice Castro
Museum Educator
Plan your Del Art visit today to see Oppression, currently on view. www.delart.org.
