This review by the art critic Miguel González, published in the Revista Arte en Colombia [Art in Colombia Magazine], considers the work of Miguel Ángel Rojas, and discusses his constant questioning of the procedures involved in Realism and indeed the very concept of the movement. González describes the major characteristics of hyperrealism—he is interested in the more critical aspect of this style, which consists of using the camera lens to explore traditional ways of understanding reality—and points out that Rojas’ work reveals his interest in space. This inspires him to move beyond simple images and leads him to photograph groupings of architectural features, as in the work Atenas C.C. (1975) in which he eschews pretense and opts for action. González ends his article with a description of one of Rojas’ recent “environments” called Subjetivo [Subjective] (1982); according to the artist, it is “the transformation of a real space into a space that is influenced by personal experiences.”

This is an important article that helps to understand the significance of the work of Miguel Ángel Rojas (b. 1946) and to see him as an artist who suggests alternative ways of photographing things and capturing one’s surrounding reality, a vital process for many contemporary artists who seek to express their own personal perspective of the urban experience. González discusses the experimental nature of Rojas’ work and his use of photography, which was something new in the Fine Arts at the time, and explains how he combines it with other more traditional media such as drawing and printmaking. 

Miguel González has been one of the most distinguished and visible art critics in Colombia since the 1970s. Though he lives in Cali, his critical work is of great importance given his role as director of the Galería de Ciudad Solar (an alternative art and cultural space in Cali, founded in 1972) and his position as curator of the Museo de Arte Moderno La Tertulia [La Tertulia Museum of Modern Art] in Cali, where he has organized several exhibitions of works by young artists from all over the country. González was among the critics who were interested in the various forms of Realism in Colombia during the 1970s and 1980s.

For more information on the career of the artist Miguel Ángel Rojas (see “Entrevista a Miguel Ángel Rojas” [An Interview with Miguel Ángel Rojas], doc. # 860526), and (“Grano y otras obras de Miguel Ángel Rojas” [Grain and other works by Miguel Ángel Rojas], doc. #860486).