{"product_id":"carlos-betancourt-imperfect-utopia-9780847846474","title":"Carlos Betancourt: Imperfect Utopia","description":"\u003cp\u003eMixed-media artist Carlos Betancourt and his influential studio  Imperfect Utopia  helped to launch the Miami art scene in the 1980s. Betancourts oeuvre \u2028is a lush explosion of radiant  eccentric colors in which he explores the kaleidoscope (multi-racial  multi-lingual  trans-cultural) of Caribbean and American culture. His work alludes to issues of memory  beauty  identity  and communication. He bends the lines between art  photography  and nature in his photographs  collages  painting  installations  and conceptual pieces. Carlos Betancourts imagery reinterprets the past and present and offers it in a fresh context. He is inspired by Puerto Rico  Miami  and his extensive travels; also artist Ana Mendietas interventions in nature  Robert Rauschenbergs assemblages  Andy Warhols perceptions  Neo Rauch compositions  and a Federico Fellini-esque cast of characters for his photo assemblages. This exuberant volume explores Betancourts body of work  with more than 250 images and texts by art critic Paul Laster  art history professor Robert Farris Thompson and United States Inaugural Poet  Richard Blanco.  His artwork is included in the permanent collections of various museums  including The Metropolitan Museum of Art  The National Portrait Gallery  and The Smithsonian Institute.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45666221752373,"sku":"ByrdShop_0847846474","price":103.68,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780847846474.jpg?v=1782423782","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/carlos-betancourt-imperfect-utopia-9780847846474","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}