JaZzArt en València

And the gallery…

The city of Valencia, the third city of Spain in population, is a very cosmopolitan city. Valencia is the capital of the Comunitat Valenciana, the autonomous community and we’ve more than a million souls…

Among our multi-ethnic and multi-cultural population…there are Africans, Moroccans and Eastern Europeans…is a vibrant Cuban community. Most of the Cubans have emigrated directly from Cuba and most have been living in Spain…perhaps in different parts…for many decades. It is rather normal for Cubans to want to live in Spain as they are direct descendants from Spaniards. If it isn’t a mother or father, it is a grandfather, if not a great-grandfather, but the origin of the family line is in Spain.

So when it comes to eating good food, I am so glad we’ve one of the best Cuban restaurants in Spain right here in our Valencia…

Cheers…

Cuando la criada vaya a la plaza, que traiga de todo menos calabaza: que
traiga chorizo, que traiga ternera; menos calabaza, traiga lo que quiera….

Claro está que chorizos tenemos de sobra y calabaza, bueno, no estoy seguro de la calabaza…

Pero ahora veo que los politicos tradicionales todos se han colocado, más o menos, del mismo lado. O sea, todos están diciendo algo que es una autentica chalada, pues piensan que la violencia tiene genero. Que poco han aprendido, o que mala idea tienen…

La violencia es un acto de una persona contra otra. Pueden haber motivos, o no, pero siempre será un acto interpersonal. El genero del que propaga la violencia no importa ni interesa porque puede ser cualquiera. No existe documentacion ni cientifica (genetica) ni psicologica que indique que el genero masculino es mas propenso a la violencia ni mucho menos que han nacido los hombres ya con una predisposicion de hacer violencia contra la mujer.

Por ende eso de «violencia de genero» es un disparate. Y peor, es un termino clave para todas aquellas que buscan el control y el dominio sobre el hombre y no la igualdad.

Boca amargada no puede escupir dulce.

The world fits in a paper cup discarded by the side of a tree

that forms the supposed lungs of the world,

a paper cup that was made from a tree and photographed by a woman…

C.2023, Francisco Bravo Cabrera, Valencia, España

NOTA BENE

The Euro-Ku is my idea, and I «invented» the form in February of 2022 while thinking about writing a traditional Haiku and realising that I was not spiritually or culturally equipped to do so. Spirituality in art has everything to do with being contemporary and true to your history and culture. Therefore there was no way that I could transform my mind into the mind of a Japanese poet writing Haikus…

I thought about it and, loving the simplicity and straightforwardness of the Haiku, I came up with a version which would be true to my European/Western thought, spirituality and history, the «Euro-Ku.» It has three stanzas, but without syllabic count restrictions and the verses must flow into each other clearly, not flow off into outer space. The addition is that it must be accompanied by an unedited original image created by the poet. The version for the Americas is the Ameri-Ku, which wonderful poets from the United States have already engaged.

Cheers…

I have some questions for all who wish to reply…

1. Does art mix with politics?
2. Should artists get involved with politics?
3. Can art, (not that which is made for political propaganda) influence others politically or socially?
4. If you thought that artists should not get involved with politics, can you tell me who should?
5. If you thought that art does not mix with politics, can you tell me what does mix with politics and what mixes with art?

I look forward to your opinions, and please, always remember that the only thing we proffer is opinions, there are very few facts out there.

Cheers…

* This painting depicts the artist (I thought about doing a portrait of Francisco Goya) in a pensive mood, seemingly floating on the blue waters of a «creative» sea, while the «muse» looks from the side, taking on a rather sinister appearance…

Incluyendo su último autorretrato y otras mas que estan estupendas, o muy feas, no se, al fin y al cabo son obras del genio del S. XX…

+++

Including his last self-portrait and others that are incredible, or incredibly ugly, I don’t know, after all they are the works of the genius of the XXth Century…

Gracias…

Cheers…

Estoy seguro que el vídeo te lo dirá todo…

I am sure the video will tell you everything…

Gracias…

Cheers…

Dora Maar fue una mujer extraordinaria que, lamentablemente, se le recuerda mas por ser amante de Pablo Picasso que por sus propios méritos…y venga que los tenía…como fotógrafa y artista…

Pero bueno, todo está en el vídeo, échale un vistazo y dime lo que piensas…

Dora Maar was an extraordinary woman who, lamentably, is remembered more for being one of the women of Picasso than for her own merits…which she certainly had…as a photographer and artist…

Well, it is all in the video, take a look and tell me what you think…

Gracias…

Cheers…

Berenice Abbott was an American photographer born in Ohio in 1898…

She started her studies at Ohio State University, then in 1918 she relocated to Manhattan and started studying painting and sculpture. In 1921 she went to Paris to continue with her studies and studied sculpture with Emile Bourdelle. Bourdelle, French sculptor, was a student of Rodin, and a teacher to Giacometti and Matisse. He was a vanguard artist and a major proponent of Art Deco and an important part of the Belle Époque movement…

In France she met Man Ray and became his assistant. She then began to develop her art and started taking portraits of other artists…

Man Ray was an American photographer born in Philadelphia in 1890 but spent most of his life in Paris. He is renowned as a fashion photographer and for the many portraits he took of famous people…

But we are focusing on Berenice Abbott and you can see many of her incredibly delicious photographs that I have placed in this video. Don’t miss it!

Cheers…

Gracias…

Cheers…

I believe in art, not as a power to reveal or as a power to transform life, as I think the one who finds revelation and transforms is the artist. The artist grows with the search, and as I have said many times before, art is the search…

Wisdom is a gift from God. And yes! I believe, absolutely, in God. Why? Because I am a student of life, of nature and of man and I have come to the only realistic conclusion which is we are creatures of God. God is and has always been…

I believe that art serves several purposes, including to beautify and decorate walls, but also to transmit ideas, feelings and emotions as it speaks to the eternal present in which we exist…

The spirituality in art comes from its contemporary nature. The painter needs to paint what exists in his lifetime. If he doesn’t his work is dead…

The artist is a philosopher that expresses his philosophy on canvas…

The artist must speak of everything and must be aware of all things going on in his «polis,» in other words in his town, community, country. Who better than someone with knowledge, experience and wisdom to speak on things…

OMNIA CAELUM STUDIOS PRESENTS:

Cheers…