Taller Boricua 1680 Lexington Ave @ 106th Street invited members of the Print Club of New York to visit their exhibition, Sin Frontera: Cuban Contemporary Engraving, on the evening of February 23rd at 5:30 PM. Both of the exhibition curators and some of the artists represented in the engraving exhibition were there to meet our group and give us a tour of the show.
Engraving in Cuba has a great, long and rich tradition. To cite a few examples, we examined the views of Havana taken by the English, the tobacco labels (maquilas) of the 19th century, and books such as the “Picturesque Trip Around the Island of Cuba” by Eduardo Laplante; all crafted as lithographs. With the establishment of the Association of Engravers of Cuba in the middle of the 20th century, this medium played a more significant role in developing this art in the country. This large group, led by Carmelo González, raised the level of recognition of Cuban engraving within the wide range of artistic manifestations that prevailed on the Island at the time.