Verdadism is the word coined by artist, designer and writer, Soraida Martinez

Soraida Martinez

Soraida Martinez is a contemporary abstract expressionist artist who creates hard-edge paintings. She was born in Harlem, New York City, USA on July 30, 1956....

, to describe her hard-edge painting

Hard-edge painting

Hard-edge painting is painting in which abrupt transitions are found between color areas. Color areas are often of one unvarying color. The Hard-edge painting style is related to Geometric abstraction, Op Art, Post-painterly Abstraction, and Color Field painting.-History of the term:The term was...

 body of work. The word is a combination of the Spanish word for truth (Verdad) and the English suffix for theory (ism). This contemporary art style, created in 1992, juxtaposes figurative abstract paintings with written social commentaries. The technique used is mixed media, with oil or acrylic on canvas paintings coexisting alongside written social statements. The statements are based on the artist’s personal life experiences or observations and address issues affecting American society from the late 20th century to the present. Racism, sexism, stereotyping, abortion, feminism, alienation, ethnocentrism and relationships are common themes.

Early history

An American artist of Puerto Rican heritage, Soraida Martinez was born in 1956 in Harlem, New York City to Puerto Rican parents who came to the United States during the Puerto Rican migration of the 1940’s-1950’s. The civil rights movement

Civil rights movement

The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...

, feminism

Feminism

Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...

 and the social upheavals of the late 1960’s to early 1970’s were instrumental in shaping the artist’s socially conscious philosophy. The first Verdadism exhibition, Soraida's Verdadism: The Intellectual Voice of A Puerto Rican Woman on Canvas; Unique, Controversial Images and Style, was held in 1994 at the Walt Whitman Cultural Arts Center in Camden, New Jersey

Camden, New Jersey

The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...

 - considered one of the poorest cities in the U.S., with one of the highest crime rates.

Influences and principles

Verdadism consists of two distinct, integral, parts: the visual component and the written commentary. The visual style was influenced by American Abstract Expressionism, Fauvist principles, elements of Surrealism

Surrealism

Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....

 and West African sculpture. Visual trademarks include purposeful simplification of form and structure, broad areas of flat, primary colors and geometric shapes, and abstract human figures with blocks for hands or elongated shapes for bodies. The artist's written commentaries are influenced by the tenets of Existentialist philosophy. These social commentaries contribute to an understanding of the Verdadism painting by describing the emotions, situations, and experiences that became the impetus for creating the work-of-art. The written commentary is an essential aspect of Verdadism and denotes a literary expression of the artist's feelings towards a particular subject matter. Other influences include the African-American Civil Rights Movement, the Feminist Movement

Feminist movement

The feminist movement refers to a series of campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment and sexual violence...

 and the political human rights movements of the Young Lords

Young Lords

The Young Lords, later Young Lords Organization and in New York , Young Lords Party, was a Puerto Rican nationalist group in several United States cities, notably New York City and Chicago.-Founding:...

.

Purpose

The primary purpose behind the paintings is to precipitate social change, to promote an understanding of humanity and to teach tolerance and the self-empowerment of the individual. In Verdadism, the intent of the artist is to make a personal connection with the viewer through the act of involving the viewer in an actual experience in the artist's life. The viewer is encouraged to acknowledge the universality of human nature and the artist invites the viewer to open their mind to the concept that we are all human beings with shared common experiences.