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Escrito en Piedra, from "Guariquen: Images and Words Rican/Structured"

1987
Not on view
"Political art," Sánchez has declared, "is a medium used　as a weapon to hopefully recapture or regain the positive energy of celebration—to regain the goodness of humanity." Here, he evokes the legacy of the Taíno (Indigenous peoples who lived in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean lands) and their culture. Though many of the Taíno died as a direct result of Spanish colonialism, several of their carvings remain, offering insight into the mythology and practices of their culture. Sánchez juxtaposes Taíno icons with images of a Puerto Rican flag draped across the Stature of Liberty and a silhouette of upside-down palm trees. The text, as well as the title, refers to the enduring power of Taíno culture through their petroglyphs, or rock carvings, as "that which is written in stone." Sánchez dedicated the Taíno petroglyphs in the print to the influential Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Escrito en Piedra, from "Guariquen: Images and Words Rican/Structured"
  • Series/Portfolio: Guariquen: Images and Words Rican/Structed
  • Artist: Juan Sanchez (American, born Brooklyn, New York, 1954)
  • Printer: Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop
  • Printer: Chiong-Yiao Chen (American, born Taiwan)
  • Publisher: Exit Art/The First World
  • Date: 1987
  • Medium: Hand-colored lithograph with collage
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 22 7/16 × 30 1/16 in. (57 × 76.3 cm)
  • Classifications: Prints, Portfolios
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Allade, Inc. and Rosoff Foundation Gifts, 1987
  • Object Number: 1987.204a
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

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Recoge Tu Destino, from "Guariquen: Images and Words Rican/Structured", Juan Sanchez American, Hand-colored lithograph and screenprint with collage
Recoge Tu Destino, from "Guariquen: Images and Words Rican/Structured"
Multiple artists/makers
1986
La Lucha Continua, from "Guariquen: Images and Words Rican/Structured", Juan Sanchez American, Hand-colored lithograph and screenprint with collage
La Lucha Continua, from "Guariquen: Images and Words Rican/Structured"
Multiple artists/makers
1986
Un Sueño Libre, from "Guariquen: Images and Words Rican/Structured", Juan Sanchez American, Hand-colored lithograph with collage
Un Sueño Libre, from "Guariquen: Images and Words Rican/Structured"
Multiple artists/makers
1987
Para Carmen María Colón, from "Guariquen: Images and Words Rican/Structured", Juan Sanchez American, Hand-colored lithograph with collage
Para Carmen María Colón, from "Guariquen: Images and Words Rican/Structured"
Multiple artists/makers
1986
Guariquen: images & words Rican/structed, Juan Sanchez American, Lithograph
Guariquen: images & words Rican/structed
Multiple artists/makers
1986–87

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