This document is an article by artist Carlos Zerpa in which he critiques the opinions historian Mariana Figarella offered in her essay “Los años ochenta. Panorama de una década” on the evolution of his career, the content of his work, and his own behavior as an artist. Zerpa refutes what he considers to be Figarella’s misunderstanding of the genres of his work and the locations of his exhibitions, as well as her affirmations about his life and art. He points out to her the contradictions within her essay; among them her declaration that Zerpa is a “diva artist” and later, that he is “one of the most interesting practitioners of performance.”

Four authors collaborated on the book Los Ochenta. Panorama de las artes visuales en Venezuela (Caracas: Galería de Arte Nacional, 1990)—published for the eponymous exhibition organized by the GAN: Luis Enrique Pérez-Oramas, Luis Ángel Duque, Juan Carlos Palenzuela, and Mariana Figarella. Both the exhibition and the book were the objects of criticism and controversial comments in the press. The young art researcher Mariana Figarella, the essay author, was questioned by artist Carlos Zerpa (b. 1950), who accused her of offering “judgments with no basis” that indicated a lack of information, also denouncing her “great irresponsibility” with the themes she touched on. At the end of the article, where he uses certain humorous phrases characteristic of his discourse, Zerpa states that her text is full of arbitrary elements and he advises her to focus on something else; for example, watching soap operas.

Zerpa’s reaction against the young author is not surprising; Zerpa was offended that criticism of his role as an artist was treated as an editorial and typographical matter in a footnote. Figarella had named Zerpa in her notes, in small letters, as an illustrative example of a “diva artist” during her development of the theme “El mercado de arte y el nuevo rol del artista” [The Art Market and the New Role of the Artist].

For the text by Luis Ángel Duque included in Los Ochenta. Panorama de las artes visuales en Venezuela, “La década prodigiosa,” see the ICAA digital archive (doc. no. 1051483). There is also an interview with Zerpa conducted by Axel Stein for the catalogue for the exhibition Three Venezuelans in Two Dimensions: Miguel von Dangel, Ernesto León, Carlos Zerpa (New York: American Society Art Gallery, 1988), in “Interview with Carlos Zerpa” (doc. no. 1102380).