On the weekend of October 14, 2023, the 36 th Annual Las Olas Art Fair came to the “Jewel of the City” of Fort Lauderdale as Las Olas Boulevard is called. The juried art fair featured artists like Alfred Addo, Tali Almog and others. Artist Tony Mendoza, was among those accepted and showed his work to an appreciative crowd. He said that he had a positive experience at the fair.
The fair was established by promoter Howard Alan. The art fair attracts quite a crowd.
As mentioned, the Las Olas Art Fair is a juried exhibit which means that artists and crafters have to apply and be accepted to display their works, so it is nice to see Mendoza there representing Miami!
Mendoza’s work is interesting because of its comic sense and dazzling use of color. His work is never dull as it reaches for excitement and finds it in color and verve. While I was reading about color theory, I saw how complementary colors align, creating vivid contrasts of orange and blue while triadic colors blue, yellow and red tend to surprise. Immediately, I thought of Mendoza.
Brief Analysis
His painting, “Cuban American Market,” has the blue sky right next to the orange tiles on the roof of the market. Then, the placards on the walls of the market have an arrangement of the triadic choices. For example, the Maxwell House sign, Coca-Cola sign and the Lotto used blue, red and yellow respectively. Also in the tiles on the roof, analogous colors, orange, yellow orange and red orange create harmony in the painting. The colors in this painting were as close to theory as could be which really shows a respect for the wheel.
At The Fair
Among the paintings that he chose to display were “Malas Lenguas,” “Tres Marias” and “Tumbao.” I like “Tumbao” because I really like Celia Cruz, and Mendoza said that it was inspired by one of her songs. I like it also because of the drama in the work. The piece depicts a voluptuous woman with long hair in a white dress against a solid blue background. Her hair has so much movement! Tumbao is Cuban slang for chutzpah or spirit.
“Tres Marias” shows three women who are very similar in appearance. Their expressions capture wistfulness, directness and compassion. The three Marys or Tres Marias seem impassive but caring as if they see our suffering and wish that we would not have to experience it but recognize the inevitable nature of it. The Mary on the right even looks somewhat humorous as if watching a precocious child play. I really like that piece.
Tony Mendoza liked the experience at the art fair. He really enjoyed his stay at the Riverside Hotel and said that he intends to return to the fair soon.
The event is for artists and crafters and accepts applications. Mendoza said that it takes place twice a year.
Links
Reach out to http://www.artfestival.com for info on securing a spot for next year if that floats your boat.
Tony Mendoza can be found at http://www.tonymendozaart.com.
Works Cited
DecoArt. “Color Theory Basics: The Color Wheel,” DecoArt Inspiration Blog, Accessed October 16, 2023. shop.decoart.com/blog/color-theory-basics-the-color-wheel/
Howard Alan Events. “36th Annual Las Olas Art Fair,” http://www.artfestival.com. Accessed October 17, 2023. Artfestival.com/festivals/las-olas-art-fair-fort-lauderdale-florida
Mendoza, Tony. Interview. Conducted by Helen Lemus, week of October 16, 2023, via email.
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