Marcos Dimas
Cabo Rojo, P.R., 1943
Biography Details
Painter, printmaker, filmmaker, and sculptor. In 1970, he earned a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York, United States. Afterwards, he did postgraduate studies in film at the School of Visual Arts in 1973 and at WNET Film and Television School in 1976. He was co-founder in 1970 of Taller Boricua in New York where currently he is its Artistic Director. Dimas has been recipient of multiple scholarships and awards and his work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in Europe, United States, Puerto Rico and Caribbean. His work combines pre-Columbian Taino symbols with current abstract and figurative forms to create a fusion between ways of seeing past and present. His poetic symbol laden paintings are based on transcriptions of common sights and sounds, popular music and dreams.
Artist Statement
“I try to recreate contemporary art using the aboriginal aesthetic... my work is about keeping that aesthetic alive”
Marcos Dimas
Formation
Education
1976
- Studies. WNET Film and Television School, New York, United States
1973
- Post Graduate Studies. School of Visual Arts, New York, United States
1970
- Bachelors of Fine Arts. School of Visual Arts, New York, United States
Professional Experience
1969- Now
- Co-Founder/Director. The Puerto Rican Workshop, Inc, Taller Boricua, New York, United States
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2010
- Spirit in Time, The Nuyorican Poets Cafe, New York, United States
2008
- Marcos Dimas: A Retrospective of 35 Years of Selected Works, Taller Boricua Galleries, New York, United States
2008-2007
- The Glorious Monster, Taller Boricua Galleries, New York, United States
2007
- Paintings, Global Link Gallery, New York, United States
2006
- The Art of Marcos Dimas, Centro Gallery, Hunter College, New York, United States
2004
- The Last Paintings, Philosophy Box Gallery, New York, United States
2001
- Sights and Sounds, Bronx River Arts Center and Gallery, New York, United States
1986
- Recent, Bronx Museum, New York, United States
1981
- The Voyager and Other Works a Decade of Art, Museo del Barrio, New York, United States
1979
- The Imaginist,Association of Hispanic Arts, New York, United States
1978 - 1979
- Paintings and Drawings, Cayman Gallery, New York, United States
1973
- Marcos Dimas Ramírez, Soul Capture, Galleria Barrio, New York, United States
1971
- Solo, Taller Boricua Galleries, New York, United States
Group Shows
2013-2014
- Our America: The Latino Presence In American Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC, United States
2008
- Creando Fuerza, Cambio y Pertenencia, Mexic Arte Museum, Austin, Texas, United States
- Painterly Graphics, Sidney Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College, New York, United States
2007
- Remix, Concepts for a Parade, Clemente Soto Velez, Cultural Center, New York, United States
2006
- CIRCA 06, Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Prints, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, Connecticut, United States
- Nuestra Cultura Artística, Lubeznick Center for the Arts, Michigan, Indiana, United States
2005
- Sculpture in Progress, Bronx Art Now, Bronx River Art Center, New York, United States
- 12th Seoul International Art Festival, Chosunilbo Art Museum, Seoul, Korea
- Upside, Taller Boricua Galleries, New York, United States
2004
- Off the Main, Contemporary African, Caribbean and Latin American Art, New York, United States
2003
- Muestra Nacional, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- 13th Seoul International Art Festival, Seoul, Korea
2000 - 2001
- IX Bienal de San Juan del Grabado Latinoamericano y del Caribe, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2000
- Pedro Albizu Campos, Taller Boricua Galleries, New York, United States
1999
- Pressing the Point, Museo del Barrio, New York, United States
1998
- Invested Vision, The National Arts Club, New York, United States
- Printmaking from Puerto Rico to East Harlem, Rutgers University, New Jersey, United States
- XII Bienal de San Juan del Grabado Latinoamericano y del Caribe, Broadway Boogie Woogie con SALSA, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1995
- Reaffirming Spirituality, Museo del Barrio, New York, United States
1994
- Yslas / Art in Transit, Hostos College, New York, United States
- El Puerto Rican Embassy, Kenkeleba Gallery, New York, United States
- Reclaiming History: 25th Anniversary Exhibition, Museo del Barrio, New York, United States
1993 - 1994
- El Tema del Indio en el Arte Puertorriqueño, Museo de las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1993
- Carnaval Mitos, Magia y Tradiciones, Galería Normandie, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Muestra de Arte Puertorriqueño Quinto Centenario, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Home Away From Home, Latin American Artists, The Art Museum, Stony Brook, New York, United States
1992
- Crossection, Arts and Events at the World Financial Center, New York, United States
1991
- “A New Season;” Taller Boricua at the Museum of the City of New York, Museum of the City of New York, New York, United States
1990
- P.S. 39 and the Longwood Community, Bronx, New York, United States
1989-1990
- Taller Alma Boricua, 20 Years Exhibit, El Museo del Barrio, New York, United States
1988
- Huellas, La Galería el Bohio, New York, United States
- Homage: Duet for Huelsenbek, Museo del Barrio, New York, United States
1986
- Segunda Bienal de La Habana, Havana, Cuba
- Transculture Transmedia, Exit Art, New York, United States
- South Bronx Show, Bronx Council on the Arts, New York, United States
- Caribbean Art/African Currents, Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Arts, New York, United States
- Democracy at Work, Longwood Arts Project, Bronx, New York, United States
1985
- Art Works in City Spaces, The Tweed Courthouse Gallery, New York, United States
- Hispanic Art Tour, Nueva York; Los Angeles, San Francisco, California; Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; Miami, Florida, Florida, United States
- Surplus Art, Exit Art, New York, United States
1984
- Cuarteto, Hostos Community College, New York, United States
1983
- Roots, Ollantay Gallery, New York, United States
- The Other America (Das Andere Amerika), Berlin West Germany Movement Graphics, Germany
1982
- Made in NY, City Gallery, New York, United States
- Octopus, (Collaborative project with Papo Colo), Museo del Barrio, New York, United States
1981
- Hispanic Artists in New York City, City Gallery, New York, United States
1981
- Taller Boricua at Rutgers University, Rutgers University, New Jersey, United States
- Events, The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, United States
- Strangers; Collective Ambience, Taller Boricua, New York, United States
1980
- Housotonic, University Museum, New York, United States
1979
- Artists 79, United Nations, New York, United States
- Private Icon, Bronx Museum, New York, United States
1978
- Bridge Between Islands, Museo del Barrio, Bronx Museum, and Henry Street Settlement, New York, United States
1977
- Confrontación: Ambiente y Espacio, Museo del Barrio, New York, United States
- Soho - Whitney Counterweight, Cayman Gallery, New York, United States
1976
- NAM, Brooklyn Museum, New York, United States
- Spirit of Independence, Cayman Gallery, New York, United States
- IMAN, Center for Inter American Relations, New York, United States; Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan; Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
1974
- Paintings and Assemblages, Forum's Gallery, New York, United States
1973
- First Festival of Third World Arts, Hunter College, New York, United States
1971
- Taller Boricua at Automation House, Automation House, New York, United States
1970
- New York Artists, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1969
- Contemporary Puerto Rican Artists, Brooklyn Museum, New York, United States
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
2010-2009
- Public Art Installation Project. Harlem River Park Walk, New York, United States
2008
- Award. Community Works Latin Roots Living History Award, New York, United States
2005
- Guest Artist. 21th Century International Creative Artists, 12th International Art Festival, New York, United States
2003
- Guest Artist. 21th Century International Creative Artists, 9th International Art Festival, New York, United States
2001-2000
- Artist in Residency. Longwood Art Center's Cyber Gallery Residency and Exhibition Program, New York, United States
2001
- Fellowship. Artist Space Program Bronx River Art Center, New York, United States
1999
- Fellowship. Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO), Bronx Council on the Arts, New York, United States
1995
- Fellowship. Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO), Bronx Council on the Arts, New York, United States
1986
- Artist in Residence. Fellowship-Bronx Council on the Arts. P.S. 39 Longwood Arts Project, New York, United States
1977
- Fellowship. C.A.P.S. NYFA, New York, United States
Collections
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC, United States
Bibliography
Books
Poupeye, Veerle. "Caribbean Art," Estados Unidos: Thames and Hudson, 1998. pp 224.
Torruella Leval, Susana. "Identity and freedom: a challenge for the nineties." In The Decade Show: Frameworks of Identity in the 1980s, 147-157. New York: Museum of Contemporary Art, 1990.
Lippard, Lucy R."Mixed Blessings: New Art in a Multicultural America”. Estados Unidos: Pantheon Books, The University of Michigan, 1990. pp.278.
Ramos, E. Carmen. Our America: The Latino Presence In American Art. Washington DC, Estados Unidos: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Copublished with D. Giles Ltd., 2013.
Hermandad de Artistas Gráficos de Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico- Arte e identidad. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, 1998.
Catalogues
Ault, Julie. "Alternative Histories", Exit Art, Nueva York, Estados Unidos, 2013.
Ault, Julie. "Alternative Art N.Y.1965-1985", 2002.
Dimas, Marcos. "30th Year Exhibition Catalogue”. Taller Boricua, Nueva York, Estados Unidos, 2001.
Dimas, Marcos. "Taller Boricua", Nueva York, Estados Unidos, 1989.
Ramirez, Yasmin. “Marcos Dimas: A Retrospective of 35 Years of Selected Works” Catálogo. Taller Boricua. Community Works. Nueva York, Estados Unidos, septiembre 2008.
Newspapers
Carrillo, Carlos. “Marcos Dimas’ Exhibit at the Bronx Museum”, El Diario (Nueva York, EEUU), 1986.
Gruek, Grace. New York Times (Nueva York, EEUU), 5 de febrero de 1982.
Rosario, Ruben. Daily News, 6 de diciembre de 1981.
“Artistas de Nueva York en el Instituto de Cultura”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 7 de julio de 1970.
New York Reviews. Arts News, October, 1978.
“Taller Boricua Art and Fraternity” El Diario (Nueva York, EEUU), 4 de julio de 1972.
Magazines
Hershkovitz, David. Village Voice. Vol. XXIII, No.6, 6 de febrero de 1978, p.67.
Martínez de Pizón, Javier. "Una Pintura que Ahonda en las Raíces", Médico Interamericano, 1999.
Lippard, Lucy R. "Out of Sight Out of Mind" Asian and Hispanic Artists, UP Front, 1984.
Parra, Catalina. "El Museo del Barrio un Museo Hispano en la Quinta Avenida", Cartellera#6,1982.
Bujan, Juan. La Voz Hispana (Nueva York, EEUU) 17 de marzo de 1982.
Rose, Bárbara. "Art in the Barrio" New York Magazine (Nueva York, EEUU), Vol. 5, No. 32, 7 de agosto de 1972, p.58.
Delgado, Olivia. "Una Fecunda Veta de Artistas Desconocidos", LIFE (EEUU) 19 de mayo de 1969.
Internet
http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/online/our_america/art/2013.15.cfm
http://www.tallerboricua.org/public_html/gallery/upsideexpoweb/marcos/ma...
http://hyperallergic.com/62274/recovering-the-history-of-the-puerto-rica...