Arien Chang Castán
from the series A base de vianda

from the series A base de vianda

© 2010 Arien Chang Castán

from the series A base de vianda
from the series A base de vianda
CultureCuban
Titles
  • from the series A base de vianda
  • from the series On Root Vegetables
Date2010
MediumInkjet print
DimensionsImage: 15 1/4 × 10 1/16 in. (38.7 × 25.6 cm)
Sheet: 15 15/16 × 11 15/16 in. (40.5 × 30.3 cm)
Credit LineThe Madeleine P. Plonsker Collection, Gift of Madeleine and Harvey Plonsker
Object number2024.246
Current Location
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building
Gallery 314
On view

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Department
Photography
Object Type
Description

Arien Chang Castán’s series Root Vegetable Diet grew from his desire to work with the human body while avoiding the clichéd genre of the nude. Friends introduced him to the world of bodybuilding, and he became a regular presence in training sessions and competitions. “I discovered these people, how they live, how they eat, how they see the world,” he recalled. “It’s a crazy world because, why would you want to be physically strong in Cuba? What you need is mental strength to survive.”  

 

La serie A base de vianda de Arien Chang Castán, surgió de su deseo de trabajar con el cuerpo humano evitando los clichés del desnudo. Algunos amigos lo introdujeron al mundo del culturismo y pronto se convirtió en una presencia habitual en las sesiones de entrenamiento y en las competiciones. Chan Castán recuerda: “Descubrí a estas personas, cómo viven, cómo comen, cómo ven el mundo. Es un mundo loco porque, ¿para qué querrías estar fuerte en Cuba? Lo que necesitas es ser fuerte mentalmente para sobrevivir”.


ProvenanceMadeleine and Harvey Plonsker, Glencoe, Illinois; given to MFAH, 2024.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

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