Latin American art has evolved greatly over the years, from the 1920’s to the 1960’s, seeking their own form of individuality, to create a uniquely Latin American Artform, and in many ways to redefine the art genre. As the political revolutions of the 40s to 60s took their toll, the world responded with an era of peace, love, and protests. The Latin American art world was especially no different in this manner. Unbeknownst to the world, a virus was spreading among the population, especially in homosexual men.

Félix González-Torres, a Cuban artist who was sent abroad, was such a man. He and his lover enjoyed a special bond, one that was taken away by the AIDS virus. The loss of Torres’s lover, however, did not deter the Cuban artist. Instead, he followed the spirit of involvement that the preceding Latin American Artists had set, and worked to involve the public not only in his pain, but his enjoyment as well. In one of Félix González-Torres’s famous exhibits in 1991, he created Portrait of Ross in L.A. At first glance, it looks unassuming. It is a massive pile of candy sitting in the corner of a gallery. However, the devil is in the details. Each candy was meticulously weighted, and in total there was exactly 175lbs of candy, the same weight as González-Torres’s lover. In a shocking twist, González-Torres encouraged everyone to take a piece of candy as they walked through the exhibit. In short time, his “lover” would be gone, but not lost forever; The common man and woman and child would carry with them a piece of him, a sweet reminder that life does not end with death. In one touching example that González-Torres witnessed, a child filled his pockets with candy. An exhibit guard chided the child for taking so much, but with a kindly smile told the child he could take one more piece of candy with him. The kindness spread by this simple display is powerful. While the child may never understand fully what he partook of when he took the communion of González-Torres lover, the child still was left happy, changed all the same.

If you would like to hear more about Félix González-Torres and his work Portrait of Ross in LA, please click here to see a video about it. 

Purdue University College of Liberal Arts