Retro/Active: The Work of Rafael Ferrer

by Vincent Katz, Carter Ratcliff, Rafael Ferrer (Artist)

Retro/ The Work of Rafael Ferrer is the first major publication to examine the breadth and depth of Puerto Rican-born Rafael Ferrer's influential production over the past 55 years. From Ferrer's avant-garde art actions in the 1960s through his more recent brightly colored paintings paying homage to island life, his artistic journey has always reflected his intelligence, humor and a uniquely Caribbean perspective. Here, essays by curator Deborah Cullen and scholar Edward Sullivan chronicle Ferrer's biography and artistic output, consider the Caribbean and western influences in his work, and chart his early sources, including the Surrealists, Dada, Wifredo Lam and Puerto Rican master Francisco Oller y Cestero. This volume also includes Carter Ratcliff's reprisal of his out-of-print 1973 opus "Rafael Ferrer in the Tropical Sublime" and Vincent Katz's interview with the artist. In all, Retro/Active features over 100 full-color plates and archival images, and will spark a critical reconsideration of Ferrer's work.

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2010

About the author

Vincent Katz is a poet, translator, art critic, editor, and curator.