Colombia 1977

5

"In the screenprint Colombia 1977, Antonio Caro has reproduced the Colombian national flag and added the name of the country – using the calligraphy of the ubiquitous Coca-Cola logo – to the lower red stripe. With this graphic play, Caro contrasts the assertion of national identity with the intrusion of a foreign commercial emblem. In 1976, Caro had initiated a series of works around the theme of Colombia and Coca-Cola. He started making drawings writing the word Colombia as if it were the logo of the famous drink. He then transferred the design of his drawings into a painting on brass, writing in white enamel over a bright red enamel background, mimicking the packaging and advertisements of the global consumer product. This work received a special mention in the Salón Nacional de Artistas in Bogotá in 1976." - Source: Tate Modern

Caro has reproduced the Colombian national flag and added the name of the country – using the calligraphy of the Coca-Cola logo –to the lower red stripe. With this graphic play, he creates an emblem of the intrusion of a foreign commercial power, and more broadly, US imperialism. ‘Art is made to communicate, to connect with reality’, Caro has said. ‘The fact that Colombia and Coca-Cola share the same number of letters facilitated the task.’ - Tate Modern, Gallery Label
Caro has reproduced the Colombian national flag and added the name of the country – using the calligraphy of the Coca-Cola logo –to the lower red stripe. With this graphic play, he creates an emblem of the intrusion of a foreign commercial power, and more broadly, US imperialism. ‘Art is made to communicate, to connect with reality’, Caro has said. ‘The fact that Colombia and Coca-Cola share the same number of letters facilitated the task.’ - Tate Modern, Gallery Label