The Cuban investment in art education has evolved into generations of talented artists, studying various crafts and making art one of the most profitable careers in the country. One of these artists, Jose Rodriguez Fuster, graduated from Escuela Nacional de Instructores de Arte in the 1960s. Specializing in ceramics and paintings, Fuster expanded his career internationally to Europe before moving to Jaimanitas, a small fishing neighborhood on the outskirts of Havana, in 1975. He began decorating his house and studio in painted tiles and ceramics. Running out of space, he expanded his art throughout the neighborhood, asking neighbors for permission to put his art on their homes. Today, he is estimated to have covered 80 buildings in his art, although some tiles have been painted by guests and neighbors. Fuster is still working in the same studio and plans to continue covering the neighborhood in his work.
Fuster's transformation of Jaimanitas has been pivotal for the neighborhood culturally, economically, and socially. Prior to Fusterlandia, many of the buildings in Jaimanitas were incredibly run down. There was little reason, if any, for tourists to visit. Since then, Fusterlandia has become one of the most popular attractions in Havana. Tourists have poured in, marveling at the pieces and significantly boosting the local economy. Many of Fuster's pieces also have cultural relevance. One of the ceramic figures in Fusterlandia depicts San Larazo, the earth saint of Santeria.
Most of Fuster's pieces are made at least partially of mosaic tiles, which are commonly found in European countries as well. In my travels to Spain and Portugal, tile art was very common and is considered a staple of their culture. I've visited Park Guell in Barcelona, created by Antoni Gaudi, which features the same colorful tile decorations. Gaudi was one of Fuster's biggest inspirations, although it seems as though Fuster accomplished what Gaudi never could. Park Guell was originally built to be a residential area, but has since become a walkable museum with beautiful views of Barcelona. Fuster, on the other hand, pieced his work into an already existing neighborhood.
After reading about Fusterlandia and finding out it was inspired by a place that I have been to, I think that it is a necessary stop to understanding and experiencing Cuban art and culture. It seems to be a time capsule of culture, capturing important figures and moments from the past 30 years and beyond. I'm excited to see the colors that Fuster has incorporated into his work. Due to a shortage of available colors in Cuba, he has had to import many reds and golds from other countries.
Questions:
1. Aside from Park Guell, what are some other places that boast tile art? Where have you seen mosaics in the United States?
2. If you were going to decorate your house or neighborhood in art, what style would you choose to represent your home and why?
Works Cited:
Jen on a Jet Plane. (2017, November 27). Fusterlandia by Jose Fuster: A mosaic tile wonderland in Havana, Cuba. Jen on a Jet Plane. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://jenonajetplane.com/fusterlandia-havana-cuba/
McClane, D. (2022, December 26). Fusterlandia: Havana's Ceramic Fantasy World. Man Vs Globe. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://www.manvsglobe.com/fusterlandia-havana/
TheNewYorkTimes. (2017, May 30). Inside 'fusterlandia': Cuba's kaleidoscopic neighborhood | the daily 360 | The New York Times. YouTube. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VlQJtZpTI4
This post details some interesting aspects of Jose Rodriguez Fuster and his works, as well as Fusterlandia and the influences that went into it. I love the question, "If you were going to decorate your house or neighborhood in art, what style would you choose to represent your home and why?" I am unsure how I would choose to decorate my home, but I am sure that I'll draw some ideas from the Cuba trip.
ReplyDeleteHello! Great post! Fusterlandia sounds like a very interesting place. It is crazy to think about how the actions of one person (Jose Rodriguez Fuster) can bring new life to a community. As you detailed in your post before he started to paint his neighborhood there was not really a reason for tourists to visit the town. But now a lot of tourists go to the town to see the art, causing the towns’ economy to grow. Also, his art has brought the town "alive" because of now ever building/art piece tells a story.
ReplyDeleteThis is so interesting because when my aunt went to Spain she talked about Gaudi and his art and it seems so hard to work on that material so I admire Fuster for working on ceramics. I love how the artists want to expand their art on their neighborhood it reminds me of the project Wrinkles of the City that they would paint murals around Havana. I also want to visit this place and to your question what type of art I would like to decorate my house I think it would be graffiti or street art.
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