Puerto Rican Artist, Lorenzo Homar

Exhibition, The Poster in Puerto Rico 1954-1974,1974
I did not head out today for the Puerto Rican Day Parade on Fifth Avenue, instead, I am celebrating Puerto Rican culture with a parade of works by the wildly talented and prolific artist, Lorenzo Homar (1913-2004)

I urge you to read his bio on the AIGA site to really get a idea of his significance in the development of the graphic arts in Puerto Rico and his influence on a generation of artists there. Renowned as a poster designer, Homar’s talents ranged from gymnastics to calligraphy and his biography includes a Purple Heart earned during active duty in WWII, and a full time position in the design department of Cartier.

Princeton University houses an archive of 350 works. In addition to posters are a sketchbook from WWII, jewelry designs for Cartier, and roughs for posters and books. In my last post, “Picturing Coney Island,” the pencil drawing of figures at Muscle Beach was from this archive.

When you look at Homar’s work, you will see evidence of, not only the engraving skills he honed at Cartier, and his interest in sports, but the influence of some quite notable teachers. He studied with George Bridgman at the Art Student’s League during the 1930s, and after the war took classes at the Brooklyn Museum, where his teachers included Ben Shan and Rufino Tamayo.


Ciclistas en el Velodromo, 1976


El deporte como la expressión cultural de un pueblo, 1980


Las Mano Del Hombre (source)


Pablo Casals, 1955


Festival Casals de Puerto Rico, Cuadragésimo Aniversario 1957-1996, 1996


Gestalt I, 1971


Two typographic posters (source)

Fotografías de Carlos Guzmán, Galería Coabey, 1980

Segunda bienal de grabado Lantinoamericano en San Juan Puerto Rico - auspiciada por el Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, 1972

Domingo García 2exposiciones, Óleos Museo U.P.R., dibujos La Casa del Arte, 1964

Domingo García en Palomas, 1984


Que libro raro, La Casa del Libro, 1966


Campeonato mundíal gimnasia, Puerto Rico, 1996,
1995


The two drawings above are from Homar's sketchbook from his army days in the Philippines during World War II.


Arthur Buckley, Boston, 1944


Cartier jewelry designs, 1937

Studies for Festival Casals posters, 1957

Very bizarre gouache illustration from 1970, titled Más inglés, muchachos, más inglés!d

The Color of Luxury

Some say it's purple, the color historically associated with royalty. Some say jewel tones. Others swear by black and still others go with gold.

When it comes to an instantaneous communication of affluence however, the colors of these boxes speak their message loud and clear. What's inside? It hardly matters. As for the outside, no need to wrap, a ribbon is just fine.

Didn't they look smashing piled up together under your tree this morning?