#art, My Barcelona, My Sant Gervasi 2016

ART is something abstract, it has to be because of its nature, although it is a creative act. That being it is still simply the creation of an artist, and the artist has taken that with which he created art from the complete and perfect creation of God. The artist takes the forms and ideas, turns them into designs, and makes works of art with them, creating new worlds which he puts on canvas with paint, graphite on paper, or sculpts them in rock, bronze, or wood. So all the artists’ works are abstracts, extracted from the great creation of God.

To triumph in art, an artist must be able to harmonize with nature and, most importantly, become devoted to humility. And for a painting to triumph…especially over time…it requires spirituality and that depends on how the artist has painted it. If the artist is faithful to his era and to his history, the painting will possess great spirituality and be forever fresh. So, if the artist is working faithfully within the history that is passing him by and the one he is creating, he can approach the purity of art. And he will create either by seeing, perceiving, or feeling the reality…and the truths…that surround him. Conscious of that, the artist will represent his theme, subject, composition and message just as it appears to him (Impressionism) or as he feels it should be deep within himself (Expressionism). The artist’s work is slow but maintains itself in constant motion, imitating the Universe, which, like God, always moves but never hurries.

Now…

I see worlds merging in the gaze of the artist who seeks…not to beautify what is already perfect and beautiful…to delve into the Great Work that is Nature. He understands that Nature does not concern herself with fitting, matching, or planning. No, because Nature simply exists, God created her complete and perfect. And although she manifests herself in myriad ways, growing, changing shapes and colours, never repeats herself…although it may seem she does to us…Nature and always stays the same. Nature, like art, does not evolve, it is.

«I have come to realize that memories…and memory itself…are fragile, very fragile, and we take very poor care of them. I want to work and create, artistically, to honor Mother Earth, God, and their great work, and all those whom God has given me to care for and love.»

In my flat on Carrer de Casanova in Sant Gervasi, I enjoyed the magic of of one of the most phenomenal cities I’ve ever known, Barcelona. It was the year 2016, and while there I managed to develop many ideas, which I captured well with pencil and India ink in several sketchbooks. I drew in the living room, on the balcony, and later in the studio that I set up in one of the empty rooms of the flat.

But the year 2016, although one of great creativity, was a year of much movement. I travelled to several cities. The first one I visited was Cienfuegos (Cuba), where I spent the month of March. In September it was Athens, in October, Turkey and finally Miami, Florida (USA) in November. In all of them, I took the opportunity to add more and more pages to my sketchbooks and to fill my head with ideas that I later managed to turn into drawings, poems, and memories in Barcelona.

Most of the drawings were part of a collection… already sold… titled «Islands of Jazz,» and others were part of another called «Cuba Song.»

That’s why I conclude as I began, asserting that art, even figurative art, is abstract. As the figurative artist that I am, I’ve extracted the shapes, the colours, the movement…the jazz…from the God’s creation and painted it, as it was created and «seen» by my «mind’s eye», but on a smaller scale. That’s all. That is art.

(Francisco Bravo Cabrera – 7/10/2016, Barcelona, Catalonia/Listening to Stan Getz)