(b. 1939, Guatemala City, Guatemala).
In 1969, the Grupo Vértebra (Vertebrae Group) was formed by Elmar Rojas, Marco Augusto Quiroa (b. 1937), and Roberto Cabrera (b. 1937). Led by Rojas, the group wished to denounce the tyranny, violence, and ethnic oppression present in Guatemala at the time. They created strong figurative paintings with rough incisions, and this work helped to distinguish each of the artists. After the initial period of creating dark, critical works, Rojas went on to paint more colorful figurative pieces that evoked magical figures from Guatemala's folk history, winning him international success. His painting Last Images of the Scarecrows (1985) presents such a dreamlike, folkloric scene. Rojas was Minister of Culture for one year (1986-1987) and was commissioned in the late 1980s to paint a mural for the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C. Sources:
Edward J. Sullivan, ed. Latin American Art in the Twentieth
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