Abstraction and Political Tensions in Colombia: 1920-1977. A commentary on the work of Marco Ospina

Abstract

This article is a commentary on the visual and intellectual work of the Bogotá-born artist Marco Ospina (1912-1983). To this end, it reviews his artistic and intellectual career, particularly from the 1920s through the 1970s, identifying the social, political, and cultural tensions surrounding Ospina's painting. Likewise, the commentary does not focus so much on a formal analysis of his work, but rather on a look at the social conditions in which his artistic work developed. It is also important to note that the article focuses particularly on some of his abstract works, rather than on a comprehensive overview of the Bogotá-born artist's extensive repertoire. Thus, the relevance of this text lies in the fact that, by approaching a specific artist and his work, we can understand sections and tensions in 20th-century Colombian political and cultural history.