In her review of works by two contemporary artists—Anthony Aziz and Sammy Cucher—Ruth Auerbach writes about their output in general based on three collections: Fe, Honor y Belleza, Dystopia, and Discontinued… Now! (1992–96). Auerbach traces the development of these two artists and their work since the beginning of the decade, when they started working together. The curator mentions that their early works addressed themes from contemporary culture, but points out that a reading of those languages reveals content that threatens current society, including “the indiscriminate use of technology” and the resulting “dehumanization.” Over time, the works cease to focus on those themes, and Auerbach refers to the new aesthetic and conceptual strategies these artists use to address the question of identity and mankind’s relationship with utilitarian objects, most particularly in the work Discontinued… Now! 

The art critic and curator Ruth Auerbach reviews the work produced by the artists Anthony Aziz (b. 1961) and Sammy Cucher (b. 1958) between 1990 and 1996, when they created Discontinued… Now! In her article “Aziz Cucher,” Auerbach discusses the approach these artists take in their work, and assesses the impact of their creations when seen as photographic works in and of themselves. She scrutinizes the close-ups of distorted human bodies in Fe, Honor y Belleza (1992), and describes the image of altered portraits in Dystopia. Looking at the exhibit from a different perspective, the Venezuela curator explains the subtle, covert interplay in Discontinued… Now! (1996) between the object (the image) and its photographic portrayal.    

This article is important because of Auerbach’s novel approach to analyzing Aziz Cucher’s work in great detail. In addition to considering the content and the ideas involved, she discusses the meaning provided by the format that the artists have chosen.

Regarding the essay on Dystopia (1994), written by María Luz Cárdenas when this work was exhibited at the Venezuelan pavilion during the XLVI Venice Biennale (June-October 1995), see “El rostro perfecto para un lugar difícil” [doc. no. 1164062].