Francisco Souto looks at suffering with optimism in “Diaspora II” at Kiechel Fine Art
by L. Kent Wolgamott via the Lincoln Journal Star
woman wrapped in a blanket sits next to a small travel bag in “What Lies Ahead” while a couple loads plastic bags full of goods to be sold on the “Black Market,” the pencil drawings opening “Diaspora II,” Francisco Souto’s Kiechel Fine Arts exhibition.
The fourth in a series of shows that began with 2016’s “A Memory in Peril,” which documented the strife in Souto’s native Venezuela, “Diaspora II” draws on those exhibitions, moving Souto’s work forward in execution and meaning.
In “A Memory in Peril,” the meticulously detailed drawings of the Venezuelan people trying to survive, encountering the military and fleeing the country were in graphite, with an airbrushed strip of colors at the bottom of each of the pieces symbolizing the Venezuelan flag.
With 2018’s “Dicotomias,” colored pencil entered the drawings, figures grew larger and symbolism entered into the work. In 2019’s “Diaspora,” the drawings transformed into sculptural objects floating inside colored frames.
“Diaspora II” brings all of those elements together.
The drawings are now exquisitely crafted art objects. Created with graphite and colored pencil first on the paper, then on six layers of sanded varnish, the images have depth that isn’t normally found in works on paper.
Floating inside the frame boxes, painted a solid color on the interior and with the airbrushed bands of color on the outside, the sculptural pieces literally glow, drawing the eye to the small images.
The small size of the “Diaspora II” pieces stand in sharp contrast to the larger works, including 8-foot-long panoramas in “A Memory in Peril” — an alteration in scale that serves to almost force the viewer to look closely at the work.
What is seen can, in the case of the symbolic pieces, be interpreted in multiple ways.
“Six Million,’ for example, is made up of graphite drawings of six smooth stones, each in a red frame that are a study in repetition and variation. But the title implies something else.
“That’s the number of people who have left my country since I came here,” Souto said. “Six million out of 20 million since 1996.”
Similarly subject to multiple interpretation is “Reins,” a coiled rope that can simply be seen as a beautifully detailed drawing of a rope or symbolically representing the horrors that have trapped people in dire circumstances.
“This is not just about Venezuela,” Souto said. “It’s about the world. This is about hurting,” Souto said. “We all go through it. Some people suffer more than others. But at the end of the day, it’s about humanity.”
“That’s the number of people who have left my country since I came here,” Souto said. “Six million out of 20 million since 1996.”
Similarly subject to multiple interpretation is “Reins,” a coiled rope that can simply be seen as a beautifully detailed drawing of a rope or symbolically representing the horrors that have trapped people in dire circumstances.
“This is not just about Venezuela,” Souto said. “It’s about the world. This is about hurting,” Souto said. “We all go through it. Some people suffer more than others. But at the end of the day, it’s about humanity.”
“You can only go down so far,” Souto said. “You have to take an optimistic view. Otherwise, what’s the point? You have to be uplifted. Otherwise, it’s horrible.”
“Diaspora II” feels like it is the conclusion of the deeply felt series that grew out of Souto’s heartbreak over his native land. And, building on its predecessors, it is also the most accomplished and powerful exhibition of the quartet, a show that can stand alone and convey its messages through his brilliantly crafted work.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com. On Twitter @KentWolgamott
If You Go
What: Francisco Souto: “Diaspora II”
Where: Kiechel Fine Art, 1208 O St.
When: Through Dec. 3
Hours: 10 a.m to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday