JaZzArt en València

The painter… Now it is the «artist»…

Back in the time of the great Renaissance masters, painters like Michelangelo, Botticelli, Leonardo and the rest of the gang, did not call themselves artists. They thought of themselves as trained artisans. Highly skilled craftsmen that had studied and mastered the craft of painting. And paintings also were not regarded as art. During those times artists did not walk into their studios, picked up a canvas and thought of what they were going to paint on it. In those times painters painted what was commissioned from them. Their greatest patrons were the Church and the nobility, along with some rich merchants as well. They did not choose their topics, they were told what to paint.

Of course that sounds quite unlike our modern concept of art. We think of an artist as someone who creates. And his creations come from so deep within his knowledge, his creativity, his innermost mind that some might even believe it came from his very profound, immortal soul. I call bollocks on that one…

Art is still a business. Paintings are mostly for decorative purposes. And artists should still be trained, skilled and dedicated professionals with good taste and a rounded off and complete education. Art does not necessarily have to be that esoteric, mystical form of expression that rises from the spirit to convey a transcendental message of intense and extraordinary beauty and importance. Art is the result of the work of a craftsman who paints/sculpts (etcetera) in his quest to make a living. In other words a painter/artist works for money, just like Michelangelo and Leonardo did.

There is nothing mystical or phenomenal in the work of the artist. Art has many functions and they are all in need of art and the artist is in need of making a living. Art is not done for the love of art. An artist is not a romantic dreamer standing in front of a muse who directs him to paint an extraordinary work called a masterpiece. No, an artist gets up, and using only his well-learned disciplinary habits, enters his studio and begins to work. He does not have to be original as there is nothing original under the sun. An artist only has to be true to himself in the knowledge that he is creating something using his learned abilities and guided by his good taste.

Stay tuned for part 3 coming soon and I will continue with these chapters if you let me know, in the comments below, that you are interested and want to participate in this dialogue.

CHEERS

A veces vemos una obra supuestamente de arte y decimos «qué mierda» y quizá lo sea, pero es que hay obras de arte que realmente son de mierda. Si no lo sabias te invito a que veas el vídeo…

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How many times have we looked at a supposed artwork and thought it was complete shit? Many… But did you know that some art is really shit? Well, take a look at the video…

CHEERS

Welcome to the 2025 edition of FEATURES by VALENCIARTIST, a limited series. And you are welcome to participate. If you are in the arts in any manner or literature, you can be a protagonist. All you have to do is reply to this posting with your email address and we will send you the information.

Today we are proud to feature a man who has been a writer, broadcaster, actor, director and much more throughout his career which has spanned over fifty years. Rich Brase was born in Brooklyn, New York (one of my favourite cities) and now lives in my hometown, Valencia, Spain. And I have had the privilege of knowing him now for the last six years. I think you will find this interview very interesting, so let me know what you think.

RICH IN HIS OWN WORDS

THE INTERVIEW

V: Rich, you have an extensive background in theatre, television, radio, management and many other aspects of the network news business as well as in the creative arts, so if I would ask you to place yourself within the world of the arts, where would you place yourself? How would you describe yourself?

Rich: . I am a classic introvert. Before I entered college, I had trouble talking on the phone, was uncomfortable meeting people and had never been out on a date. Then, I started working as an actor and then a theatre director and had a daily radio show which helped bring me out of my shell. Performing and public speaking gave me confidence. I got the most joy being a sportscaster and radio dj, by far. Unfortunately, I had little confidence and did not see myself earning a living the rest of my life behind the mic. Being on-air and on stage is fun, but I found my true calling when I ultimately moved behind the camera as a television writer and producer, which is how I will always see myself. I was a television creative director for over forty years, so I always tell people that my first love was creating programs and promos that people watched. Within that world, I am proud to say the stations I worked for received new heights in ratings, revenue and creativity. Seeing those stations and networks succeed and developing young writers and producers made me happy, and a lot of those people are still thriving today.

V: So far you have led a very interesting life, so do you have any plans to write anything about your experiences, say your memoirs?

I don’t think I´ve led a life more interesting than anyone else. It is what it is and I have always pursued things that make me happy and avoided things that don´t, often to my detriment. For instance, I don´t drink coffee, smoke or play golf, and that has often kept me on the outside of certain work circles. I have worked with a lot of famous and creative people, and have loved being with (almost) every one of them. I can’t think of anything I have ever done that would be interesting enough for someone to spend their time or hard-earned money to learn more about, so my life is best left undiscussed, except for my family, who are required to be impressed.

That being said, our move to Spain in 2018 has inspired me to write a highly fictionalized movie about moving from being American to expat in Spain. The script is currently a slog, and may never see the light of day, but any American (or Brit) who makes a move to a country where they have to learn a new language surely is a comedy in the making.

V: In this highly politicised world that we live in, everybody seems to have an opinion and everybody wants to correct the problems of the world, especially those difficulties that most, if not all, countries seem to be going through at this time. Do you think that writers, poets, artists and other trained professionals of the arts should engage in public dialogue, giving their opinions about the politics of their nation and proffering alternatives to the paths taken by their governments?

A great question, but the real question is how can artists, whether they are writers, painters, actors, musicians or anyone with a creative bone in their bodies help change the world. I think it is imperative that creative people make their voices heard and opinions known through their art. It´s clear to me that leaving running the world exclusively to politicians, businesspeople and bureaucrats is a bad idea. The world runs on great ideas, music, inventions, art and design. It’s up to those artists to make their opinions known and help shape public policy. This is the way it´s been since the beginning of civilization.

I´ve been interested in politics and how people react to policy since I was a teenager in New York. We do indeed live in turbulent times, and having a weekly radio show with a co-host who encourages me to speak my mind on American politics is a blessing. I´ve always felt I was an artist as well as a businessman and leader. Because of this, having an outlet for my opinions here in Spain has been perfect, not to mention fun. I hope all artists (not just Americans) of any medium always feel free to make their opinions known.

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT RICH BRASE

Rich Brase has lived a blessed life as a writer, broadcaster, actor and director for the past 50 years in stations and networks from Toledo, Ohio to New York City, and now Costa Blanca, Spain.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised on Long Island before he moved to the Midwest to go to college. That is where he developed his love of musical theatre, broadcasting and scriptwriting for the stage and screen. As a student at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, he performed in a dozen plays and wrote and directed a musical comedy. He also had a daily radio show for three years and was the hockey play-by-play voice of the BGSU Falcons for two years.

After graduation, he worked as an on-air personality at radio stations in Ohio and Michigan before receiving his MA in Screenwriting and Film from the University of Michigan.

Over four decades, he became a promotion writer, producer and creative director at a dozen stations from Boise, Idaho to New York City, winning multiple Emmy Awards. For nine years, he served as a board member of PROMAX International, and was the organization´s Chairman in 1995. For decades, he has served as an ambassador for everyone working as marketers of television, radio and movies.

After leaving the broadcasting in 2013, he worked in the non-profit world as the Marketing Director of The Vancouver (WA) Symphony Orchestra for 10 years, and even became a school bus driver.

In January 2024, Rich joined BayRadio International as the station´s US Correspondent, talking about American issues and politics.

He and his wife, Victoria, who is also a talented director/writer/producer moved to Valencia, Spain in 2018. Their daughter, Gillian, lives in the US and runs an art gallery in Manhattan.

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So, we start the year 2025 with a phenomenal protagonist which we appreciate greatly and thank happily for his participation and his friendship.

And remember, if you are a writer, poet, actor, playwright, musician or in any way connected to the arts, we want you! Be a protagonist on FEATURES by VALENCIARTIST! Simply send us your email address as a reply to this post and we will send you the information.

CHEERS – CHEERS – CHEERS – CHEERS – CHEERS

Hay que pensar, si no nos piensan…

LOVE IS BOURGEOIS

Love is bourgeois…
And happiness acts like a crazy bird
that flies solo thorough the clouds
sometimes making them to rain.

Nostalgia?
Nothing more than a mediocre pretension.
It pierces you with a knife,
stomps on your withered heart,
causing bad days and infections…

The rich eat the lazy…
The masses eat the lame…
But my teeth are sharp and I am thirsty,
and I’ve grown tired of this game.
I’ve cleaned up the wine stains,
cauterised the wound,
why should I then fall so disgraced?

Dinner time and we’re not hungry,
We’re sitting at the bar till it’s quite late,
glancing at friends that pass us by,
speaking little as we try,
to listen?
Not at all…
We’re ready and waiting for the fall…

Love is bourgeois…
Anger religious…
Forgiveness is a way of life,
with rounded edges like a dull, old knife,
which imitates the pain of holy sacrifice,
challenging our inhibitions.
and threatening us with lies.

(C.2021, Francisco Bravo Cabrera, 05 JAN 2021, Valencia, Spain)

Behind your face, my face appears
then yours comes behind the clarity of mine
Valencia, we were ninots in a falla burning in the night
Images of papier mâché
Silver bodies dancing through the smoke and smell of sandalwood
On our palms the blood of mandarins
we stretch our arms between blue heavens
and a small, bewildered olive tree.

PLEASE CONTINUE READING AT LITERARY REVELATIONS (link below) THANK YOU

Valencia – poem by Gabriela Marie Milton and Francisco Bravo Cabrera