Raúl Martínez
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Publio Amable Raúl Martínez González, known as Raúl Martínez, (1 November 1927 – 2 April 1995)[1] was a Cuban painter, designer and graphic artist. He is best known for colorful pop-art portraits of leading Cuban political figures including José Martí and Camilo Cienfuegos.
Martínez was born in Ciego de Ávila and studied in Havana and at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His early works were abstract, moving towards figurative work later in his career. After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, Martínez helped the foundation of the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC), Casa de las Américas and the Cuban Book Institute.
Influenced by the growing pop-art movement, Martínez created a series of designs for magazines, books and posters. Many of his works carried the themes and iconography of the Cuban revolution, using vibrant colors and comic book themes. In 1966 Martínez began the first of many designs based around the image of national hero José Martí.
Works by Raúl Martínez are on exhibit in museums throughout the world. He made at least twenty personal exhibits, including exhibitions of his drawings and designs in the Center of Cuban Studies in New York (1975), and Cuban photography and posters (1983, United States). He also received the Silver Medal in the Cuban Painting Exhibition at Tampa University, Florida. Cuba’s National Museum of Fine Arts dedicates a large space in the permanent collections halls to Raúl Martínez.
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Raúl Martínez (1927-1995) b. Camagüey, Cuba. Painter and designer. He studiedat the Academy of Arts of San Alejandro. During the 1950s he worked in the advertising agency OTPLA. Was artistic director of the cultural magazine Lunes de Revolución. Sporadically designed film posters for ICAIC. During the 1960s was professor of design in the School of Architecture of the University of Havana. His work has participated in collective and personal expositions and the biennials of Mexico; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Venice, Italy and in the Salon de Mai, Paris, France. His work has been rewarded on repeated occasions. He obtained the Silver Medal, Cuban Painting Exhibition, 1960; Medal of Bronze, International Exposition of the Art of the Book (WENT), Leipzig, Germany, 1965 and the National Prize of Plastic Arts, National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), 1995. The Counsel of State of the Republic of Cuba offered him the Distinction of National Culture, 198l; the Medal Alejo Carpentier, 1983 and the Order Félix Varela, 1988.
• Inspiration for Martinez’s work came from anonymous images taken from display cases in the Workers’ Centers and Defense Committees
• Artistic movements- Rauschenberg and Warhol.
