Antonio Martorell
Antonio Martorell was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico. After his education in the U.S. and Madrid, he returned to Puerto Rico during a significant artistic period, the Generation of the 50s. These artists had started a new type of artistic production that drew on local traditions and folklore, and were also made socal, cultural, and political commentaries on contemporary Puerto Rican life. Martorell worked under the tutelage of one of these artists, Lorenzo Homar. Martorell’s work tackles concerns of the effects of violence in society, war, and political repression globally. In addition to this, his art also reflects, if not protesting, the colonial status of Puerto Rico. He has been known to protest the traditionalism of many arts organizations in Puerto Rico and Lati America, who he critiques for having maintained very formal canons in the arts and failed to evolve. He is currently a resident artist of the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey and directs the Ramón Frade Museum there as well.