This month some stray observations from our recent 2 week sojourn to Colombia: 1) local artist makes good 2) getting high, and 3) making Canada Post look good.
I realize that 2 of these 3 things are kind of negative, but that’s not a reflection on our trip or Colombia or its people. Our visit exceeded all our expectations. The fact that I found a couple of things to be irritated about says more about me that it does about Colombia.
1) Fernando Botero Angulo
Colombia is very proud of Medellinense artist Botero (1932 – 2023) and we visited galleries filled with his paintings and sculptures in both Bogotá and Medellín. You would probably recognize his work. It is filled with “fat people”, like this one for example.
Botero didn’t think of his subjects as being fat, he described them as having volume. For most, that would be a distinction without a difference.
Anyway, he is a fine artist who found great success with his voluminous people. And I mean, GREAT success. His net worth was estimated at between US$100 – $300 million at the time of his death in 2023, and that is what I found most surprising about him.
Over the years, Botero played with different themes and incorporated different elements into his portrayals of fat people, but the basic idea remained constant. There is something slightly humorous and mocking in almost all his work1 and that seems to have resonated with the public and with art collectors. In other words, he latched onto a gimmick and made a fortune. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
2) Above Sea Level
Quick, what is the elevation of your city? How many metres or feet above sea level? …..
I’ll wait.
Most of us have no, or only a very rough, idea, but everyone in Colombia knows the elevation of their city, just like they know their address. Bogotá is ~2600m, Medellín is ~1500m, and Filandia (which we also visited) is ~1900m.
Toronto? I had to look it up. We are ~100m.
Now you know.
3) Postal Disservice
Some of you might have received a post card from me in the past. Don’t hold your breath for one from Colombia.
The Colombian postal service has been downloaded to a private company called 4-722 and they seem to provide the bare minimum service at extortionate prices. In Bogotá, a sprawling city of 8 million people, there are only a handful of offices. The one that I visited shared space with a postage stamp sized3 DHL office. There was room for only one employee and a couple of customers. It was more of a kiosk than an office. When I arrived, 2 customers were busy filling out some forms at the counter and there was no more room for me. I had to inquire about service from the doorway.
I sent a handful of cards, but I’m not going to tell you how much each one cost; HVW doesn’t even know. Just know that it was by far the most expensive I have encountered, and probably an order of magnitude more than you think.
For this, you get a delivery time of 3 months!
4) Bonus — Old man gets grumpy when traveling
For god’s sake people, get some ear buds to listen to your damn videos in public. In virtually every public space we visited, some jerk was listening to something irritating on his or her phone. Make it stop!
PS: the header image this month is one version of Antonio Caro’s painting, Colombia, which he revisited many times in his career. This one was on display at the Bancolombia | Sala de Arte, in Bogotá.
Looks like you guys had a great trip. Did you dodge a bullet with the earthquake?
We were long gone when the earthquake hit. Lucky break for us. Tragic for Colombians.