The Bonnier Gallery is delighted to announce the new acquisition of Amanda Linares's artwork, Donde Comen Dos, Comen Tres (Where Two Can Eat, Three Can Eat), 2022 by The Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, FL.
Donde Comen Dos, Comen Tres (Where Two Can Eat, Three Can Eat) is an artist calendar that portrays the oppressive scarcity of the rationed food distributed over the course of a year at a bodega (grocery store) in Cuba. Rationing is controlled by the Cuban government through the implementation of a Libreta de Abastecimiento ("Supplies Booklet"), which is assigned to every household. In this way, the system establishes the amounts of subsidized rations that each household is allowed to receive according to its number of members, along with the frequency at which supplies can be obtained. Voicing these daily struggles of Cuban families, the calendar is composed of six individual wooden cutting boards customized by the artist whose shapes recall the silhouette of a house. On each cutting board, an image transfer of a graphic chart is displayed showing the number of supplies given to a family of three over a two month period. These charts are extracted from an original Supplies Booklet (2021) belonging to one of the artist's friends who currently lives in Cuba.
Creating wooden boards meant for cutting food adds an element of irony that is revealed after reading the chart information while not having any food to cut. This effect purposely mirrors the shortage of quantity and variety in food supplies available on the island. Although the prices of rationed items are low, often costing only a few cents, most Cubans have to supplement their supplies at higher-priced stores where only a few people can afford. Through the application of the photo transfer technique, each board becomes a unique piece embracing the physical imperfections of the Supplies Booklet that are created by production, use, and time. As the title suggests, Donde Comen Dos, Comen Tres (Where Two Can Eat, Three Can Eat) not only contemplates the struggles of living under an oppressive system but also the humility and hospitality of its people who with little can always make room for one more.
Amanda Linares is a Cuban-born visual artist who currently lives and works in Miami. She graduated in printmaking from San Alejandro Academy of Fine Arts in Havana, Cuba followed by receiving her BFA in Graphic Design from New World School of the Arts. She is currently a resident artist at the Bakehouse Art Complex.
Images: Amanda Linares, Donde Comen Dos, Comen Tres (Where Two Can Eat, Three Can Eat), 2022, photo transfers on six wooden cutting boards, 9 1/4 x 12 1/4 in. each, Edition of 3. Photos @bycassanas.
