Flowers and rifles. Ezequiel Linares, his painting and his link with the landscape

Abstract

Joaquin Ezequiel Linares was born in the City of Buenos Aires in 1927 and died in San Miguel de Tucumán in 2001. He was the first art advisor of the Centro Cultural Alberto Rougés and was an honorary member of the Fundación Miguel Lillo from 1990 until his
death. His artistic production, complemented by his academic work, is very important for the arts of the region. This is the case of Jardín de la República (Republic Garden) (1973-1978) which alludes to certain events that took place in the hills of the Tucumán
province. In a wealthy landscape that has captivated tons of travellers who attended to describe what they had seen.

This paper investigates this group of works in order to embrace its complexities and ambivalences. As well as the elements that frame it and give it political depth and historical density.

I propose a journey through the origin of the expression that gives title to the series Jardín de la República. A discussion on the relationship between the landscape and the spirit of the people of Tucumán in general, and Linares in particular, and the de-
velopment of contextual elements contemporary to the artist and to these paintings.