ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses specifically on Manuel de la Cruz Gonzalez's trajectory with geometric abstract art and discusses both its spiritual and rational foundation, unusual in Latin America, where most art in this style contained a predominantly scientific basis. Costa Rican artists Lola Fernandez, Rafael Angel Garcia, and Manuel de la Cruz Gonzalez each had spent time abroad, where they developed abstract painting styles that they later exhibited upon their return home. The abstract art shown at the 1958 exhibitions, particularly Gonzalez's, challenged the public and augured well for those who wanted a change in the visual arts. Gonzalez's arrival in Venezuela in 1950 meant exposure to the ideas of Concrete and Constructivist art and his work grew increasingly geometric and abstract. He took charge of repelling the attacks on the Grupo Ocho and thereby helped to establish the presence of Costa Rica's artistic avant-garde. The painting Equilibrio cosmico of 1965 exemplifies a shift towards minimalism.
