Soraida Martinez - An Interview About Her Verdadism Art
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Soraida Martinez defines Verdadism as "a distinct form of Hard-Edge Abstraction wherein paintings are juxtaposed with written social commentaries". Her new book, Soraida's Verdadism: The Intellectual Voice of a Puerto Rican Woman on Canvas; Unique, Controversial Images and Style, offers a look at a continually emerging and important voice in the Art world.
As a Puerto Rican woman speaking out and defining herself and her art, she creates history. The book is 180 pages of Soraida's Verdadism. Without apology, she brings up tough issues and places her truth about them on canvas for you to see. Verdadism started to emerge when Soraida found a lump in her breast. One Day I Found A lump In My Breast shows us of the jolting experience and the realization that everyone's self-empowerment must happen now. She goes on to create a portrait for prejudice, so that those who take part in it can see themselves. In 1994, she created a painting, Please Stop Calling Us Minorities: We All Know That's An Unfair label With Negative Connotations, that shows frustration at one of the most disenfranchising labels in America. Only now are sociologists and others starting to call for an end to this label. She not only tells her own truth, but lets those who try to hold power know we know what they are thinking. Puerto Rican Stereotype: The Way You See Me Without Looking At Me tells the formula for the portrayal of the sexually ornamental and docile Puerto Rican woman. We know the effects of the media and messaging, and with this satire, Soraida shows them how ridiculous it is.
Verdadism is an important means of moving everyone forward. For those who hate and crave power, Soraida shows their ugly side as well as their effect on those around them. For those who struggle, Verdadism brings out their strength. She provides a unifying medium that brings out the truth about what divides us from the rest of the world and our own selves. She will be appearing for book signings in New York on August 10th and Wilmington, DE on August 13th, 2000.
An Interview
Soraida: Rich, I first would like to thank you for your interest in the fine art work of an American women of Latina heritage, like myself. You are very progressive in doing so and it is my pleasure to do this interview with you.
RVazquez: Thank you very much for talking with us. You often portray the effect of labels and stereotypes. Where do you think the balance lies between ending the effects of labels and using that label to unite and empower the group behind the label?
Soraida: Rich, labels only empower people when they are positive. But when one gains power, one also takes power away from others; and when one oppresses another, everyone loses. For example, Hitler labeled the German people the superior race. That empowered many German people, especially the Nazis; thereby taking power away from the Jewish people and others he labeled undesirable. When labeling groups of people...in the end, everyone loses.
RVazquez: Have you had the opportunity to work with or see another artist who has adopted Verdadism?
Soraida: I have not had the opportunity to work directly with another artist who has adopted Verdadism, but I have received many requests from artists asking me if it is OK to call their art Verdadism; and some have referred to themselves as Verdadist artists. I have also gotten a great amount of positive responses from artists around the world who have expressed to me that they like what I am doing and they too will soon be heading in a Verdadist direction with their art.
RVazquez: Have you ever seen it applied differently - with different mediums?
Soraida: Yes, I have seen other artists copy my Verdadism voice in writing, as well as my visual style.
RVazquez: How long have you been painting and writing?
Soraida: I have been creating Verdadism paintings and writing Verdadism statements for a whole decade now. Before Verdadism, I painted in a different style and before that (in high school) I created still life drawings and was interested in portraits. In college, I did mostly nudes in pen and ink. I still have a whole collection of nude ink drawings on top of my fire mantle, which many people still feel uncomfortable with just because they are nudes. These drawings were rendered from 1979-1980 of nude models in the art classroom and they are my studies of the human form.
RVazquez: Have you seen any progress in the acceptance of Latinas in the art world?
Soraida: In general, I have not seen much progress of women at all in the fine art world. No woman artist has been given Picasso status yet in the art world and the only women artists that I do see getting attention are Cindy Sherman and, of course, the women artists that are deceased...like Frida Kahlo and Georgia O'Keefe. In comparison to male artists in the fine art world, there has not been much progress for Latina (nor Latino) painters.
RVazquez: Since your entry into Verdadism have you ever had the urge to separate the visual art from the written, or has it remained the best way to express yourself?
Soraida: Rich, I have this great need to communicate. And I have received such a great response from people from all walks of life that I feel like I am accomplishing much. My only regret is that I wish that I could paint and write more Verdadism paintings and statements.
RVazquez: What kind of work, if any, have you done with Puerto Rican or other Latin American artists?
Soraida: I have been in group exhibitions with other Latino artists and have even gotten together with a group of Latina artists (in Soho, New York City) to discuss the problem of not being accepted in the fine art world. Primarily though, I like to speak to children in schools about empowering themselves through higher education. As a former member of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, I was also an advocate for all artists (especially, the many Latino artists that have been underserved by this society) and I was active in helping to get funding for a Hispanic youth showcase, where Latino children from ages 5 to 17 performed onstage.
RVazquez: Has any of your work been bilingual or multi-lingual?
Soraida: Some of the titles of my paintings are bilingual and I consider myself multicultural; so, I feel that my art and statements clearly convey that message.
RVazquez: Is there any particular artist, philosophy or person that inspired you or affects your work in Verdadism?
Soraida: Yes, Existentialist philosophy. In college, I also studied Existentialist philosophy, so later in my life I started to adopt this teaching into my Verdadism art. As an artist, I have always been visually attracted to African sculptures and the way in which the African artists abstracted the human form; today, you can see that in my work. I always thought that this type of abstraction was super-sophisticated...and when most people considered it primitive, I was turned on by it.
RVazquez: Many of the patterns appear to be Pre-Columbian, like Taino, do you find yourself pulling on influences from the "Española, Africana, and Taina"?
Soraida: Yes, I think the zemis from Puerto Rico also influenced me. At a point in my 30's I wanted to read about the indigenous people of Puerto Rico and I was fascinated with the way in which the Tainos conveyed and abstracted the human spirit. Art is very spiritual and the zemi sculptures concentrated on this aspect of Taino life.
RVazquez: Is there a prime example in your work.
Soraida: Yes, in the message of Hope. I think many of these Taino sculptures represented hope for a better tomorrow.
RVazquez: Do you find people trying to read messages into your art, even though the message is written? Is there more to be read into your art beyond what is written?
Soraida: There are many academics, in both the arts and humanities, who have written to me and asked me many questions...in order to analyze my Verdadism art. Most have immediately understood and encouraged what I am doing. I have been told by individuals that come to my studio to talk with me that I am very open. When I wrote my Verdadism book, I felt like I was a bit too candid and I was afraid that people would reject me for being so honest. This is especially true with my painting, "Mother and Child: First Toxic Relationship."
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