Arte de victor alvarez, texas

Work of arts by Victor Alvarez Ênio de Oliveira Ars longa, vita brevis Hippocrates ABSTRACT: I selected an epigraph that suggests that art is long, life is short. At first glance, one can think that the Hippocrates’ saying contrasts life and art. However, the anacoluthon between the two phrases shows, in fact, that the Greek philosopher highlights their connection. This epigraph suggests, among other interpretations, that life and art are comparable and, therefore, they complement each other. A syllogistic conclusion would be that “Art is life”. Taking this notion into consideration, I will focus this paper on Victor Alvarez’s paintings -Self-Portrait with Feathers (2006) and Dreamscape (2004) -- to develop on formal elements and principles of composition of visual arts. By so doing, I will demonstrate how the artist portrays facets of his own identity through his artistic persona.

1. INTRODUCTION Victorius Commemorative Art Exhibit took place in the Art Gallery of the University of Texas Pan-American, in Edinburg, TX, in the period of September 6 - September 22, 2011. Commemorative not only because it aimed to remember Victor Alvarez was a local and gifted artist, but also because it assembled to honor his perseverance and his victory over the limitations of his physical body. Victor Alvarez was born on October, 21, 1986, in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. When he was six, he crossed the border with his family and started living in Brownsville, Texas. When he was ten, he was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. After a whole year spent in an intensive care unit, he had been told by doctors that he did not have long to live. He was then taken to Comfort House, in McAllen, to wait for death. According to Gearhart (2006: 10) “Victor could not walk or sit up or lift his head without help. He could use his left hand just a bit, but his right hand hung limp. He needed help eating, dressing, even shooing away mosquitos trying to land on his nose”. However, despite of his