Hard Light. The Work of Emilio Sanchez

Although barely acknowledged in his native country in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution, Emilio Sanchez dedicated much of his career to recreating the effects of Cuba’s sun soaked colours onto canvas in his New York City studios. This volume collects Sanchez’s acclaimed paintings, watercolours, and drawings, which are celebrated for their architectural forms, brilliant palettes, hard lines, and striking use of light and shadow. Sanchez’s paintings reflect a dialogue with North American post War abstraction, as well as Latin American geometric abstraction. In addition to Cuban street scenes, Sanchez painted the architecture of New York, the Caribbean and North Africa, still lifes, and land- and seascapes. Offering diverse perspectives on this multifaceted painter, three compelling essays discuss Sanchez’s work-from its relevance to aspects of modernism in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.S., to a glimpse into his private world and art through the lens of queer theory and aesthetics. This prismatic presentation gives readers a fresh look at this unique artist’s vision while firmly positioning Sanchez within the discourse on twentieth century art history.