JaZzArt en València

Su madre, Ana Serafina, era hija de esclavos africanos y su padre, Yam Lam, era chino. Wilfredo nació en Sagua la Grande, Cuba. Lam conoció a muchos de los grandes del S. XX, incluyendo a Pablo Picasso, Matisse y Diego Rivera. Lam comenzó sus estudios en la escuela de Bellas Artes de La Habana. En 1923 se traslada a Madrid donde estudió bajo el maestro Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Zaragoza, curador del Museo del Prado y profesor de Salvador Dalí. Wilfredo Lam murió en Paris el 11 de septiembre de 1982. Ya había tenido mas de cien exposiciones particulares y su fama bien establecida como también su posición en la historia del arte. Aquí lo veréis todo…

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His mother, Ana Serafina, was the daughter of African slaves and his father, Yam Lam, was Chinese. Wilfredo was born in Sagua la Grande, Cuba. Lam met many of the great artists of the 20th century, including Pablo Picasso, Matisse, Braque and Diego Rivera. Lam began his studies at the Fine Arts School of Havana. In 1923, he moved to Madrid where he studied under the master Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Zaragoza, curator of the Prado Museum and professor of Salvador Dalí. Wilfredo Lam died in Paris on September 11, 1982. He had already had over a hundred solo exhibitions and his fame was well established, as was his position in art history. Here you will see it all…

Gracias…

Cheers…

Wassily Kandinsky, even though we now know that he was not the inventor of abstract art, we do understand that he was one of the first, together with Piet Mondrian, to theorise about this art form. Abstract art was one of the art vanguards of the XXth Century. It was, or is, I would say, the most successful one.

In any event here is what Kandinsky had to say:

«Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.»

«The deeper the blue becomes, the more strongly it calls man towards the infinite, awakening in him a desire for the pure and, finally, for the supernatural… The brighter it becomes, the more it loses its sound, until it turns into silent stillness and becomes white.«

«Every work of art is the child of its age and, in many cases, the mother of our emotions. It follows that each period of culture produces an art of its own which can never be repeated.«

I think this last quote is a very interesting and important one for artists, and generally for lovers of art. Art is and has to be a child of its age. All art is at one time contemporary and it must reflect the reality of that age, the thinking and the styles common to that age. After all this the age wherein the artist lives, and where he understands better the feelings, emotions and the events that transpire and make history. Copying from another age might lead to technical perfection but without soul. The soul, the true spirit of art which renders it eternal comes from it being a child of its age, as Kandinsky so well said.

Of course there have been many other artists in art history who have theorised about art, abstract art as well. Let us see what Mark Rothko had to say:

«We assert that the subject is crucial and only that subject matter is valid which is tragic and timeless.»

«Art to me is an anecdote of the spirit, and the only means of making concrete the purpose of its varied quickness and stillness.«

«I insist upon the equal existence of the world engendered in the mind and the world engendered by God outside of it. If I have faltered in the use of familiar objects, it is because I refuse to mutilate their appearance for the sake of an action which they are too old to serve, or for which perhaps they had never been intended. I quarrel with surrealists and abstract art only as one quarrels with his father and mother; recognizing the inevitability and function of my roots, but insistent upon my dissent; I, being both they and an integral completely independent of them.»

In this last quote Rothko, a very spiritual artist indeed, speaks of surrealism and abstract art as being the «father and mother» of his work. Rothko traversed many types of art until he finally settled upon abstract. In his abstract art, huge canvases of colour, only colour, he placed all his philosophy, intention, theories and spirituality. And they are good. And as he himself said, «There is no such thing as a good painting about nothing.»

I am not an abstract artist, however, I do study the style, the genre and I find it to be very difficult indeed. Abstract art is not splashing paint on canvas, or anything else and then calling it a painting. Mark Rothko also enumerated, in 1958, what is necessary in a painting:

«There must be a clear preoccupation with death—intimations of mortality … Tragic art, romantic art, etc., deals with the knowledge of death.
Sensuality. Our basis of being concrete about the world. It is a lustful relationship with things that exist.
Tension. Either conflict or curbed desire.
Irony, This is a modern ingredient—the self-effacement and examination by which a man for an instant can go on to something else.
Wit and play … for the human element.
The ephemeral and chance … for the human element.
Hope. 10% to make the tragic concept more endurable.
I measure these ingredients very carefully when I paint a picture. It is always the form that follows these elements and the picture results from the proportions of these elements.«

(From the book/catalogue Achim Borchardt-Hume «Rothko» exhibition at the London: Tate Gallery, 2008)

To create an abstract painting one must face the same problems as one would in painting a figurative one. There are issues of technique, form, style, composition, colour, size, et cetera et cetera et cetera… Art is not intuitive. It is a philosophical process that must be developed, cooked over a slow fire and allowed to simmer, then cool before spreading it on a surface.

OMNIA CAELUM STUDIOS PRODUCTION

Cheers…

Picasso dijo que el arte era una mentira que nos hace darnos cuenta de la verdad, y que el arte abstracto, o sea, la abstracción, no existe ya que todo parte de algo para llegar a otra cosa y que como siempre se parte de la realidad, la abstracción no puede existir. Pero… Aunque valoro mucho a Picasso, el genio, el artista, pintor, escultor, innovador etcetera, no valoro tanto su discurso. Picasso, cuando hablaba, lo hacia pensando en sonar como un artista y decía cosas que un artista debería decir. Eso es filosofar sobre el arte y las filosofías las acepta uno o no, no son leyes inmutables. La verdad es que el arte abstracto si existe, y es más, tuvo…y tiene…más éxito que el cubismo o que casi todos los ismos, (las vanguardias del Siglo XX), porque sigue vigente y creciendo, no solo en la pintura pero en la escultura y la fotografía también. La abstracción es una manera de expresar utilizando el lenguaje de los colores y las formas geométricas y asi, sin rasgos de figuración, transmitir una idea, una emoción (o varias) y un sentimiento.

Aqui os dejo algunas de mis abstracciones en pintura y en fotografía…

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Picasso said that art was a lie that makes us realize the truth, and that abstract art does not exist since everything starts from one thing to reach another one and that, as always, it all departs from reality, thus an abstraction cannot exist. But… Although I consider Picasso a genius, a great artist, painter, sculptor, innovator, etc., I do not value his discourse on the same level. Picasso, when he spoke, did so thinking about sounding like an artist and said things that an artist should say. That is philosophizing about art, and one either accepts philosophies or not; they are not immutable laws. The truth is that abstract art does exist, and moreover, it had… and has… more success than cubism or almost all isms (the vanguards of the 20th century) because it remains relevant and growing, not only in painting but also in sculpture and photography. Abstract art is a way of expressing using the language of colours and geometric shapes, and thus, without figurative traits, convey an idea, an emotion (or several) and a feeling.

Here are a few of my abstract artworks both as paintings and as photographs…

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GRACIAS – CHEERS

TALKING ABOUT ART: Things to Know and Consider

Asking what is art is like asking what is life. Everyone has an answer and everyone thinks they are right. Some would say that art is something quite essential and unique to human beings, and I would tend to agree with them. Others may even think that animals are also capable of creating works of art. We have all heard about an elephant that paints, a pig, a monkey or even someone’s Pomeranian. This position I do not share. Art has to be made with purpose for it to hold the spirit of the time.

Yet, I am not one to hold an opinion that would place art apart from the abilities of everyone of us. And no, I am not going to say that we are all artists. But I will say that we are all capable of being artists, should we desire to. And that is the key. Some believe art is a gift, either from God, or nature, and I would not argue that point. I do believe art is a gift from God but not necessarily the talent to create art. The gift is the inclination towards the life of an artist, that is, the will to do art. The rest comes with training and practice. We have all been told that practice makes perfect, well talent is developed through hard work. No one is born with special talents. If we were born with genetic inclinations towards art then art would be a genetic disorder. We are born with inclinations. Talent is developed. So, clearly speaking, I will tell you that no one has talent, or is talented. Those that are have gained it through practice and hard work.

Another supposition is that art is sublime and subjective. What! Subjective? Art is purely and organically objective. To create a work of art one does not take cotton fibres from the subjective mind, weave them into a canvas, then paint with colours from the imagination. Everything about art is objective, from the canvas (or whatever support you use) to the paint, to the brushes (or whatever you use to put paint on canvas or wherever) to the easel, to the palette knife or even the rag you use to wipe off the paint from your hands. And anything you have done, whether it is a painting or a sculpture, (and I am not going to even mention conceptual art here) turns out to be an object that can be used to decorate or to, well whatever you wish to do with it.

Let us also not get overwhelmed with artists. And artists, let us not get too impressed with ourselves. I have noticed that when an artist is interviewed they usually speak “as an artist” would. They throw terms around, talk in circles, refer to history, to philosophy, all on their way towards making themselves seem important and sound so smashing, when they know it is all bullshit. Art is a subject you study at university like any other subject matter available. You shuffle yourself into the classroom, toting your canvas and your paints and you set up and begin to try to learn all about colour, composition, style, form, colour combination and how to, eventually, put your thoughts on canvas in a way that can be appreciated. Of course with good taste.

If you intend to make money as an artist, then you spend some years at art school (does not have to be at uni) earning a degree which is not really marketable as in art what counts is your production. And yes, you are producing, just like the factories or just like orange trees. A diploma might get you a job as a curator, or as a professor, and that is good. We all need to eat. But it will not get you a career as an artist. Well, unless you get “picked up” by a dealer or a gallerist that will catapult you into stardom and totally control your world and your output as an artist. If that happens, you can be sure you will become rich and famous but you won’t become much of an artist. Unless…

Unless you reach a state of financial independence where you can kiss the art dealers and art galleries goodbye because you don’t have to go to them to sell, they will come to you. And there’s the rub, as the old bard would say. An artist has to vindicate himself with every painting or with every sculpture. And this is true no matter how many examples you can cite of artists that have “made it” and that no matter what they do it becomes a smashing success. I would say those are successful because they have been placed there by rich and powerful sponsors, not because they have really proffered to the world incredible masterpieces.

Remember, art is a commodity. The old rich families of this world have always collected fine art. So, that means that all the great masterpieces of the world are taken, either by old money collectors or museums. Then, what do the nouveau-riche do to imitate their role models? They need would new Michelangelos, new Leonardos and new Picassos, but there are none. Second best thing, clever dealers create new masters out of their preferred artists or student artists. They build them up, pay incredible sums for their work, even if their work is less than average and presto, they have created the new Masters of art, the elite. Now they have to support them for if they do not then the “masterpieces” will lose all their value. And that is why you see such rubbish being sold at Sotheby’s or Christie’s at unbelievable prices. (Do not get confused with the very good pieces they also auction for such amazing sums as well).

And that is the state of affairs in the art world of the present moment, as I see it. But things are changing. The playing field is becoming larger and more democratic. With the internet all artists can become a global phenomenon without the need of intermediaries. It is not easy, nothing is, but it is doable and many have done it. I will conclude by telling you that art is a discipline, an adventure, a dream, and for me it is everything I ever wanted all wrapped up in a canvas, some paints and a brush. And if you are dreaming too, start learning from somewhere or someone. There is no such thing as self-taught. No one teaches themselves things they do not know. So take advantage of the things we have in this age of miracles and wonders and become an artist if that is your inclination. If not, support your local artists by buying original works.

CHEERS

(From the book «Talking About Art» by Francisco Bravo Cabrera – C.2025 All Rights Reserved)

Mare meua! Eso nunca falla…

Vivienne might not be a painter/artist but she certainly was an artist. So I find it quite fitting that she be included in the Women’s Artists Series. She was born in Derbyshire, England in 1941. She passed away in 2022 in London. She was the designer of the Punk and New Wave movement. She had a shop in London, Sex, from 1974 to 1976 where she created what all the punks wore, or wanted to wear. The boutique, that merged fashion with music, was the centre of the Punk fashion. Actually her partner, Malcolm McLaren was not only a fashion designer but the manager of the Sex Pistols.Westwood was ranked by Sky Arts as the 4th most influential artist in Britain in the last 50 years. Vivienne was also an activist for a better world. She opened shops not only throughout Britain, but around the world with fashion lines to promote political causes that she supported such as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, climate change and civil rights groups…She was the genesis of the punk fashion movement and once said, «I was messianic about punk, seeing if one could put a spoke in the system in some way» («Vivienne Westwood: Disgracefully yours, the Queen Mother of Fashion». The Independent. London, England. 2 June 2002. Retrieved 31 March 2010).

Being that I too greatly admired Punk aesthetics, I thought it quite fitting to feature Vivienne. I hope you enjoy it and if you are interested in art, design, music, or whatever, you might benefit greatly by looking up more on this very creative and brilliant woman.

CHEERS

Got to say that when techno-pop rolled around I was not too engaged with the sound, that is until I heard «West End Girls» (1985). Then I searched out everything about and of Pet Shop Boys. Phenomenal! I totally got hooked on their music and through them, I began digging on techno-pop…

Pet Shop Boys, the most successful duo in the musical history of the United Kingdom according to the Guinness World Records (1999). They placed 44 singles in the Top 30 of the UK, and that is to include 22 of them in the top 10 and four number one hits. The number one songs were: «West End Girls«, «It’s a Sin«,​ «Always on My Mind» and «Heart«.​AND to date they have sold over 100 million records world-wide. They have won three Brit Awards and have been nominated six times for a Grammy. Since they kicked off their career in 1984, they have recorded 15 albums and nine of them have made it to the Top 3 in the UK charts. Rather good I would say…

The boys started in London in 1981. And for the US, they were the leaders of the second British invasion. They are the true pioneers of electronic pop-rock. The duo is composed of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. They met in 1981 at an electronics store in Chelsea.

Nonetheless is their latest, and fifteenth studio album released in April of 2024. They are still touring and recording not just for themselves but for other artists, like Madonna… I guess this duo is never being boring… 😊

CHEERS

Here is a little review of some of the things I had done and was doing as of 2016 back in the days of Omnia Caelum Studios Miami…

CHEERS

And the one song I will feature from this great artist from the US is «The Boy in the Bubble» from the Graceland album of 1986. The single was released in 1987. This song, which I really got into when it was released, was written by Paul Simon and Forere Motloheloa, a musician (accordionist) from Lesotho. The song’s light hearted melody and music becomes a counterpoint to its lyrics which deal with much darker issues such as starvation and terrorism. The song reached the top 30 in the UK.

Do you remember this song? What do you think? After all aren’t these the days of miracles and wonders? Or are they?

CHEERS