▁massive ▁over ha ul , ▁the ▁lik es ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁world ▁had ▁never ▁seen . ▁( The ▁liter acy ▁rate ▁of ▁the ▁average ▁adult ▁went ▁from ▁ 2 0 %, ▁to ▁over ▁an ▁ast ounding ▁ 7 5 % ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁ 1 2 ▁years ) ▁When ▁later ▁asked ▁why ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁go ▁with ▁social ist ▁real ism , ▁Martínez ▁answered ▁that ▁" C ub an ▁artists ▁were ▁building ▁upon ▁something ▁that ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁built ▁up ▁yet ; ▁they ▁could ▁experiment , ▁but ▁they ▁could ▁not ▁take ▁anything ▁for ▁granted ." ▁ ▁This ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁national ▁art ▁form ▁was ▁nothing ▁new ▁to ▁the ▁Latin ▁American ▁Art ▁World , ▁as ▁is ▁evident ▁through ▁Colomb ian ▁and ▁Brazil ian ▁art ▁during ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁period ▁and ▁years ▁prior . ▁ ▁The ▁development ▁of ▁icons ▁was ▁in ev itable ▁given ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁individuals ▁such ▁as ▁Che ▁and ▁F idel ▁to ▁the ▁developing ▁Cub an ▁culture . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁time ▁studying ▁at ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Design ▁in ▁Chicago , ▁Illinois , ▁pop ▁art ▁was ▁just ▁beginning ▁to ▁emer ge ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Though ▁this ▁direct ▁expos ure ▁to ▁the ▁emer ging ▁movement ▁was ▁rather ▁brief , ▁the ▁inclusion ▁of ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁devices ▁of ▁the ▁movement ▁found ▁their ▁way ▁into ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Martínez , ▁who ▁has ▁been ▁cred ited ▁as ▁a ▁cre ator ▁of ▁" a ▁very ▁Cub an ▁pop ▁a est h etic ", ▁isol ating ▁popular ▁elements ▁of ▁the ▁time