JaZzArt en València

Art is the search, and it has to be because without the search nothing can be found. Change your mind, change the world, change everything. Being static, intransigent and stubborn only leads to stagnation. Change leads to recognising that the search is art.

CHEERS

“Una pintura es un tratado de filosofía que se desglosa con los ojos y una vez dentro te hace bailar, cantar y vibrar con energía.”

“A painting is a philosophical treatise that is absorbed through the eyes and once inside it makes you dance and sing and vibrate with energy.”

Quotes by

Francisco Bravo Cabrera

CHEERS

Max Beckmann: Life and Work of a German Expressionist

Max Beckmann, born in Leipzig, (1884–1950), was a painter, draftsman, printmaker, and writer whose work bridged the movements of Expressionism, New Objectivity, and Symbolism. Known for his bold use of color, dramatic compositions, and psychological depth, Beckmann’s art reflects the turbulence of the 20th century, especially the social and political upheavals of Germany in the aftermath of two world wars.

Beckmann studied at the Weimar Academy of Arts. His early works were influenced by German Impressionism, but the horrors of war led him to develop a darker, more symbolic style that distanced him from mainstream Expressionism, even as critics continued to associate him with the movement.

During the 1920s, Beckmann became a central figure in the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) movement, which aimed to depict the world with unsentimental realism. His paintings from this period often portray the alienation and decadence of Weimar society, with complex compositions populated by enigmatic figures and theatrical settings.

The Nazis branded him as a “degenerate artist”. In 1937 he was dismissed from his teaching post and had his work removed from German museums. He fled to Amsterdam and later emigrated to the United States (1947), where he taught at institutions such as Washington University in St. Louis and continued to paint until his death.

Throughout his career, Beckmann created a significant body of work, including over 100 self-portraits, which served as intense meditations on identity and the role of the artist in society. His use of triptych formats, reminiscent of medieval altarpieces, elevated his themes to a metaphysical level, confronting issues of suffering, fate, and redemption.

Max Beckmann died in 1950 in New York City. His legacy remains vital to modern art, as his unflinching vision and symbolic complexity continue to resonate with audiences today.

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CHEERS

Esto, claro, no lo hacen los políticos… 😊

YOUR SHADOW

Stay strong always,
brave,
daring.
Who shall you fear?
March on even when weary
life will give you no reprieve,
you must defy her with every turn…

Your shadow is not your rival,
it is your guide…
Your steps will pave the road,
and though it may be twisted,
with each stride you find it straight.

See the road through gentle eyes.
Your shadow never leaves you;
watch closely as it smiles,
and with a wink it beckons you toward the tavern
where you’ll find good wine,
potato omelette,
pork sausage,
Iberian ham,
blood sausage,
it’s a true delight.

Your shadow never betrays you,
listen to its counsel
for it knows more than what was drummed into you
by the donkeys of the academy,
in their foul chambers
where indecency gleams.

They may use you like a rag,
but your shadow,
foolish human,
cannot be deceived,
not for one moment.

Francisco Bravo Cabrera / August 12/22, 2025 / Izmir, Türkiye

“Changing of the Guard” (An Euro-Ku)

These city streets recall my passing
and remember my footsteps, on each corner
and pass from mouth to mouth stories I had quite forgotten,
while faces in the winds blur like smoke,
but the echoes of their voices always linger.

I pass greeting the shadows of old promises,
my hands reaching for what I had lost,
like a crown of fleeting triumphs that precariously balanced on my head.

Moonlight permeates the darkened wall,
and the changing of the guard, unseen by only me,
leaves behind only the pulse of time.

C.2025 – Francisco Bravo Cabrera – 21 AUG 2025 – Izmir, Türkiye

NOTA BENE

An Euro-Ku is my invention from 2022. As I admire the original Japanese poetry form, I wanted to write in the style. However, being a Westerner and not having the benefit of the Japanese culture, language or history, I felt I could not honour the original Haiku. So I thought it would be beneficial to create a similar form but suited to the European mentality, history and culture. The Euro-Ku still maintains the three stanzas or verses, however, since it is written in English, (or any other European language), it made no sense to stick to the strict syllabic count, which works for Japanese but not for any other language. So there are no syllabic counts or restrictions in the Euro-Ku. Another rule, if I may, is that the verses must flow easily and logically into each other completing the thought and the story. No verse should just flow into outer space. And finally the Euro-Ku must be accompanied by an original, inedited illustration made by the author specifically for the poem.

Try it…

CHEERS

Art is the search, and it has to be because without the search nothing can be found. Change your mind, change the world, change everything. Being static, intransigent and stubborn only leads to stagnation. Change leads to recognising that the search is art.

CHEERS

YOUR SHADOW

Stay strong always,
brave,
daring.
Who shall you fear?
March on even when weary
life will give you no reprieve,
you must defy her with every turn…

Your shadow is not your rival,
it is your guide…
Your steps will pave the road,
and though it may be twisted,
with each stride you find it straight.

See the road through gentle eyes.
Your shadow never leaves you;
watch closely as it smiles,
and with a wink it beckons you toward the tavern
where you’ll find good wine,
potato omelette,
pork sausage,
Iberian ham,
blood sausage,
it’s a true delight.

Your shadow never betrays you,
listen to its counsel
for it knows more than what was drummed into you
by the donkeys of the academy,
in their foul chambers
where indecency gleams.

They may use you like a rag,
but your shadow,
foolish human,
cannot be deceived,
not for one moment.

Francisco Bravo Cabrera / August 12/22, 2025 / Izmir, Türkiye