JaZzArt en València

I must admit that until quite recently, when I ran across an article about her, I had never heard of Lucia Wilcox. But seeing that she had been an influential painter, especially for the surrealism movement, I could not leave her behind. However, there is not much about her to be found.

For starters she was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1902 (although some say 1899). She moved to Paris as a young woman and there met Picasso, Léger and other young aspiring artists. She wanted to study art and possibly did at the Académie Ranson. André Derain, a fauvist, became her mentor.

In 1938, with war on Europe’s horizon Wilcox left for the United States. She settled in Amagansett, Long Island where she became friends with Jackson Pollock, Frederick Kiesler, Max Ernst, and others. In New York Lucia had her first solos show in 1948 at the Sidney Janis Gallery. Then in 1949 she was instrumental in organizing East Hampton’s first contemporary art exhibit at Guild Hall. Reviews of her artwork from The New York Times and other newspapers, described her work as being “a dramatic compound of Byzantine color, allegro fancy, modern treatment, and near mystic feeling.”

Her work was mostly surrealist up until the 1950’s when she started doing some abstract expressionism, something quite popular at that time. Lucia was invited to participate in two of the four historic exhibitions that Alfonso Ossorio organised at Signa Gallery in 1957 and 1959. Then in 1961, she had a solo exhibition at Lefebre Gallery on East 77th Street in Manhattan.

By 1972 she had gone blind but continued to work, substituting ink for oils and allowing her mind to guide her, free of distractions. Lucia Wilcox died in New York in 1974.

These are some of her works. I find them interesting. What about you?

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GRACIAS – CHEERS

To me, both clearly geniuses of pop music. Perhaps one more than the other, but they complemented themselves almost perfectly. Yet, two geniuses cannot work together for long and so it happened, but for more than 10 years as superstars with The Beatles, they did it all, musically, then they wrapped it up, put it in a balloon filled with helium and let it go so it would go on and on, all over the world and forever.

My grandchildren are Beatles fans! As well as Beach Boys fans and fans of most of the music that was made in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and even up to the mid to late 90’s… That says a lot about where the musical geniuses are coming from.

So, I cannot say anything about The Beatles, or about John, Paul, George and Ringo that you do not already know, so I will leave it here and just groove on this tune from one of my fave albums of the fab four…

CHEERS

Just remember what John Lennon said… «Happiness is a warm gun…»

I think it makes sense… How about you?

SWALLOWING SWORDS WITH THE PIPER

And I thought time was standing still
when I learned to swallow swords,
before the Big Show left Mulberry Street,
before the clowns had caught the last flight
to a place where I’ll not mention,
nevermore…

I start to write with words I’ve written times before
to fill the pages of my grimoire,
that taught me how a simple man can learn to swallow swords
and how an artful piper can go door to door
from Hamelin to Florida
with feet so sore….

I walked with Harlequin and his deer friends
on yellow streets of plasticine,
while rabbits made their way into his head,
or perhaps just his hat
it’s hard to say.
but I’ll try once again…

Then three blind rats began to dance a minuet
to the rhythm of the piper playing fugues and dirges,
and the drumbeat of the stooge marked out the tempo,
accelerating here and there and then
quite abruptly slowing down the tempo.
to join in with the military cadence they had conjured.
to guide their well worn out boots to oblivion.

C.2025, Francisco Bravo Cabrera – 24 JUN 2025 – Valencia, Spain

And these are some of the things in my life back in Miami, during 1973 and beyond, and in other places I don’t think I need to mention…

CHEERS

Well, I reckon we all thought of these things at one time or another… But, thankfully, we grew up… The song was with my band AJA back in 2014, while some of the images are from my trip to Cuba in 2015…

CHEERS

Here are some of my early expressionist works from the days in Miami. This was a period that ended in 2012…

CHEERS

Those were the days in the paradise that used to be Miami Beach… This is with my band PUNX in Miami and best heard with headsets in your portable or desktop…

CHEERS

Esto es la pura verdad, sin duda alguna, pero el problema es que a muchos de estos políticos, que tenemos que sufrir, les importa poco. Son mentirosos y siguen mintiendo… ¿No?

I strongly recommend this video first…

So, what do you think about this incredible, phenomenal and beautiful work of art?

CHEERS