The Goddess Triptych Reunited is a three-piece collection by Angel Rodriguez-Diaz that explores the female body and seeks to paint sexuality, fertility and femininity in a different light than what has been seen historically and culturally. This exhibit is currently on view at the San Antonio Museum of Art until Sept. 14. It displays three different portraits of women inspired by myths and religions — such as the water spirit, Yemaya and Venus, who hails from Roman mythology.
The three women are all surrounded by vibrant colors and scenery. The most special detail about these women is that they look like real women. They stare directly at the viewer in full nude. They flaunt their cellulite, wrinkles and folds; instead of being ashamed, their expressions are of power and pride.
The first portrait, titled “The Myth of Venus” (ca.1991), is a take on Venus — the Roman goddess of love, sex and fertility. It pictures Marte, a friend of Rodriguez-Diaz, crossing her arms against her chest in front of a scenic beach, which evokes Sandro Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”(ca. 1484).
The second portrait “Yemaya” (ca. 1993) shows Diana Fraser, Rodriguez-Diaz’s subject, confidently revealing her body with open arms — a stark contrast to modest portraits of the same nature. Rays of light shine down upon her, almost mimicking a crown while her blue eyeshadow and fabric pop through the brown and yellow background.
The final portrait “La Primavera” (ca. 1994) pictures a vibrant and luxurious background with subject Sandra Payne, an artist and librarian, holding white flower. This portrait evokes a fifteenth century painting of the same name by Botticelli with Venus again as the central focus.
Rodriguez-Diaz hoped to break stereotypes surrounding women and beauty standards with these portraits. Instead of painting through the male gaze and falling into Western trends of depicting women as small, pale and submissive, he chose to paint diverse women of all kinds, those of color, plus-size and powerful leads. His background as a gay Latino of African, Taino and Spanish descent inspired him to make art that would push boundaries and break societal norms.
Rodriguez-Diaz was also incredibly inspired by prehistoric symbols of fertility and sexuality like the iconic Venus of Willendorf (ca. 24,000-22,000 BC) by an unknown artist. These prehistoric examples are much different than Westernized standards for beauty and sexuality. The women are almost always depicted nude, of a larger frame and unashamed — exactly what Rodriguez-Diaz wanted to capture with his artwork. He re-imagined these iconic symbols while modernizing them, and the result is breathtaking.
With vibrant colors, powerful expressions and an incredible message, “The Goddess Triptych Reunited” by Rodriguez-Diaz will be on display at the San Antonio Museum of Arts until Sept. 14. The San Antonio Museum of Arts is located on West Jones Avenue and is about a 20-minute drive from UTSA’s main campus. They offer free admission for UTSA students and are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Tuesdays and Fridays when they are open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
