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Iza, Washington
(b Quito, 1947). Ecuadorean painter and engraver. He studied at the fine arts faculty of the Universidad Central de Quito. Together with José Unda (b 1948), Ramiro Jácome and Nelson Román (b 1945) he was a member of the group Los Cuatro Mosqueteros, which set up its own ‘anti-Salon’ in Guayaquil (1968) in opposition to the official Salon. In the early 1970s he exhibited work in a geometric style influenced by Op art, but he later revolutionized Ecuadorean art through the coarse realism and critical attitude of his more figurative work. His ironic aesthetic of ugliness dwelt principally on the human figure; although he was at first preoccupied with solitude and helplessness, in his later work he moved towards a magical neo-figurative style, as in The Bath (1982; Horacio Soler priv. col.). As a result of his involvement with the research group Piru, Iza was influenced by Pre-Columbian art in his choice of colours and motifs, and this led to a period of fantastic realism, sustained by superb draughtsmanship. The influence of José Luis Cuevas was also important for Iza, above all in his response to his environment in a country where ugliness was inextricably linked to modernization.
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