JaZzArt en València

THE TIMELESS CIRCLE OF MASTERS
(of art)

Usually most people think of the great masters of the Renaissance when asked about their favourite artist. Others look more to the recent past or even to the present. But knowledge of art history is very sketchy among most people and even among many artists who have not gained from the vast amount of knowledge that art history contains. So, the solution is to study art history?

Well, yes, but no, not necessarily. You can subscribe to my blog and to my YouTube channel (www.YouTube.com/@FranciscoBravo Cabrera) and I think you will learn enough. That is if you are simply a lover of art. But if you are, or aspire to be, an artist, then you should study art history, as well as painting, drawing and other techniques. Education and preparation is essential for an artist.

So, let us look at what I am calling the “timeless circle of masters.” These are greats that not many dispute their inclusion in such a special group:

Leonardo da Vinci – mindful, experimental, the searcher
Michelangelo – impetuous, powerful, indefatigable worker, mystic
Rembrandt van Rijn – light and human truth.
Diego Velázquez – visionary, technical perfection, spiritual quest
Johannes Vermeer – seeking the light and its impact on the world and people
Francisco de Goya – painter of reason, nightmare and social criticism
Claude Monet – the birth of perception as art.
Vincent van Gogh – emotion as flame and colour as the medium
Pablo Picasso – inventing new ways to create, innovations, the search without end

I would say, unequivocally, that all of these, (whether I like them or not), redefined the meaning of a painting, or what painting was before them. They did not only work through their good taste and the search for beauty but of art being.

Here are some more that some art historians would probably add to the above “super” group:

• Caravaggio – light, darkness, and violence turned into revelation
• Frida Kahlo – capitalising on being a “martyr”
• Sandro Botticelli – a true maser of light, colour, image and greatness
• Salvador Dalí – self-agrandising, narcissist, non-genius who called himself a genius

And although these painters are now famous, some of them were not famous in their time, although some, like Velázquez and Goya excelled in the courts of kings and Michelangelo was commissioned by popes to decorate churches…

Some would say, and I would agree, that fame is only the faintest reflection of what truly matters in art…

Most of the “greats” did not live to chase recognition. On the contrary, their search, their quest was for truth, light, and the feeling of art, and used a canvas, or a wall, to find themselves within that search. Painting is seeing, and one must see with honesty and if you accomplish that, then you will walk the same path of the great ones even if only a few people know your name, or no one at all. As an artist you add colour to the world and things that did not exist before you picked up a brush, dipped it in paint and placed it on a surface. And that is no small thing. It is a search and it is the expression of what you found.

I have heard it say that, «Art is the quiet echo of the soul made visible. It asks nothing but attention, and in return, it teaches us how to see ourselves and the world anew.» I can subscribe to this statement only if I can add that art is also an academic/professional pursuit which demands of the student/artist education, preparation, discipline and good taste. And also the hunger to exhibit, sell and live off of his art. Art, can also, like a soft brushstroke across still water, stay with you if you let it…

So you, yes, you, what are you chasing in art?

CHEERS

Omnia Caelum Studios…

The name comes from Metamorphoseis, («The Metamorphoses») a poem written by the Roman poet Ovid on 8 AD, which narrates the creation of the world and it’s history until the day of the deification of Julius Caesar…

The translation of Omnia Caelum into English is hard to achieve, but the best I can do is to think that it may mean: «all is heaven»…

First came Omnia Caelum Miami. I started this business in the year 2003 with my first professional exhibition in Istanbul, Turkey. I never thought it would be there, but it was, that’s destiny I guess. From there I proceded to New York, to Zaragoza, Spain, to Miami, and to other cities in the State of Florida. I took my work to all galleries, to all fairs, festivals and to special expos. But my greatest accomplishment…I would say…was that I was able to reach fabulous individual collectors that opted for my work, and they are from three continents: Europe, Asia and America.

Upon my return to Spain I re-named the studios Omnia Caelum Studios València, as València, Spain, is my city. From here I have exhibited in Barcelona, Sevilla and in Izmir, Turkey, as well as participating in many trans-European art auctions and I have seen my art travel to many countries in the continent. And this is just the beginning. There are many countries in my plans, many places to visit, many places to take my work to…

Like I have said many times before, I am a painter. I really don’t know what many mean when they call themselves «artist». For me art is the search and I am a searcher and searching is the greatest form of art, as far as I know. I don’t believe in a lot of things that I hear are important to so-called «artists», like originality and style. No artist is original. We cannot be original. Perhaps our ancestors were original but even then, I am sure they copied nature. And as far as style is concerned, it is a limiting factor. To develop a style all you have to do is to do the same thing over and over again. Like Picasso said, God created a giraffe and an ant, totally different, where was His style? And for me, God is the only creator…

I invite you to look at…most of my artwork…the work I sell and display on Omnia Caelum Studios Valencia, through Instagram. We are at @Francisco_Bravo_Cabrera and @Guloshka (my representative, curator and adviser). And I also invite you to my YouTube channel (through the link below) where I post videos of art and of many artists in my Art History series.

Cheers…

Rumor Damage rumor is a spineless seed dipped in fertile shadow dirtthat multiplies and causes pain and unexpected hurt silence, a bed partner that …

Featuring Joni Caggiano (editor Francisco Bravo Cabrera)

I would like to say that this is one of the first (done in 2001) of the Jazz-Art Series of graphite/ink drawings on Canson paper. There may be others from the same time but this one has survived. I apologise for the quality of the photograph. Actually I had a tee-shirt made with this image and that’s the only thing I have now so I stretched it and took the picture (it is now framed).

This drawing is very important to me because it has within the composition the idea, the jazzyness, i.e. the elements that later formed the series JaZzArt en València. I started with the idea of music, but music is totally abstract and I did not intend to create an abstract drawing. So I revised my thought and started sketching the idea of music, the flow of the phrases, the staccato, the legato, the syncopation, the rhythm, the voice of the singer, the swing of the players…

I think you get the rest…

If you would like to see a complete…well, almost…collection of the black & white drawings, please visit us on our Instagram, @Francisco_Bravo_Cabrera and I think you will get a complete picture and you will see how this 2001 drawing became the great grand-father to the drawings that came later.

CHEERS

AND LET US NOW TALK ABOUT «BAD» ARTISTS
(in my opinion)

This is simply my subjective opinion, although I will support it with some facts as I have been able to discover them.

I have to start with Jeff Koons. To me he is not an artist, but a businessman that has capitalised on thinking himself an artist and creating works that, well, you know them, and if you don’t, you will have to look them up because they are too hideous to be placed in this post. The official data on him from “experts” is: Koons is criticized for being more of a brand than an artist, outsourcing most of his work to assistants. Well the experts here are right, although they could have said more.

Moving right along we have Damien Hirst, and the experts say: Some see his work (like the diamond-encrusted skull or preserved animals) as shock value over substance. Here is another artist that employs lots of assistants to do his work. With these experts I do agree.

Damien Hirst created a series of what he called “Spot Paintings” (actually it was done by his assistants, mostly) and then British Airways budget arm Go used a design of multiple coloured spots to the tagline “Go, the new low-cost airline from British Airways.” (The Independent). Hirst stated that the advertisement “bears a striking resemblance” to his own “spot paintings” series. (The Independent). He actually tried to sue the airline but the case never progressed. I mean, hasn’t he ever seen the flamenco dresses of the women at Sevilla’s April Fair? Good grief!

Then we have Thomas Kinkade, and what do the art experts say: Kinkade is hugely popular for his glowing cottage paintings, but widely dismissed by critics as overly sentimental “mall art.” And about this Californian I’ve nothing to say except that he was a trained and technically sound artist but his style and his art is not something I spend much time on. And this is another case in which I agree with the “experts.”

Some other things that art history talks about are artists that are famous but are, or were, “bad” people. Let’s check out these three that can be thought of as being ethically or personally controversial:

• Caravaggio – literally murdered someone.
• Wagner – (in music) was notoriously anti-Semitic.
• Picasso – was brilliant but also famously cruel to women. (although none of the supposed “victims” ever complained and he supported them all generously)

Of course the «list» does not stop there, but this post does, so look for part 2 coming soon.

CHEERS

Early Renaissance painter from Italy and a great one to kick off this series of Art History for all. I think all can enjoy, but especially artists…

Cheers…

WHO IS THE GREATEST PAINTER OF ALL TIME?

Well, it could be said that it may be Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519)…
Art history has emphasised that he is the ultimate synthesis of art and science. And furthermore, and these are simply facts, that his Mona Lisa (to me a second rate portrait), and The Last Supper (phenomenal but badly done and due to that it is almost totally deteriorated), are among the most studied and reproduced images on Earth.

It has also been said (mostly by “experts”, good grief!) that he transformed painting into a form of intellectual inquiry. That he was able to merge light, anatomy, spirit and mystery into his paintings successfully.
And finally “experts” simply conclude that he was a genius.

I do not think he was a genius. I think he was a painter of his time and that there were probably many other “Leonardos” in abundance during the Renaissance, especially in Italy. He was not, in my opinion, the author of intellectual inquiry. And reference merging light, anatomy, spirit and mystery to create, well, allow me to introduce you to the real master, Sandro Botticelli, the author of La Nascita di Venere (The Birth of Venus). And let me add that Leonardo was also a bit lazy. Most of his paintings are unfinished and many times he had been commissioned, and paid, to create either a painting or a sculpture and he would leave the job either half done or not at all. Is that the work of a genius? I do not think so…

And The Mona Lisa, definitely not his best portrait and it would not have become so famous had it not been stolen. After the theft the “marketing” campaign created the mystique and after it was recovered the museum sent the painting on a world tour to ensure its fame. If you really want to admire a great Leonardo portrait take a look at “Lady With An Ermine” totally superior to The Mona Lisa.

Now, if we mean the most “famous” painter in art history, one might say it is Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)…
His life story, along with his art, was woven into a myth. He was the mad painter, victim of suffering and of course his death made him a martyr, and martyrs sell. They (“experts”) say that the struggle, the passion, the vision. I don’t buy it, and it reminds me of another artist, one that I do not like, because I do like and admire van Gogh, which is Frida Kahlo…

Art historians claim that his style, i.e. his use of colour and of “swirling emotion” changed the language of painting forever. Well, perhaps, but the language of painting has been changing and by his day, it had changed much and still is. So that is nothing so big that it can elevate him to that level.
Finally they claim that he put his soul into his work. I would remind the “experts” that most good painters have done that and still do.

So I would conclude that Vincent van Gogh was a great painter and a reference to all artists that study art history. And if you are, or aspire to be, an artist you must study art history. But to me he is not the most famous painter in art history.

But if we mean to say the “most influential painter on modern art”, without a doubt it would be Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)…
Picasso was the true genius of art. He totally reinvented painting and opened the door for all the other painters of the 20th Century. When he invented cubism he created a new way of expression on the canvas that allowed for all the other art vanguards of the 20th Century to come forth. He did not create surrealism, or abstract art, but his break with tradition and classicism allowed others to become surrealists, expressionists, or abstract artists. His innovations even allowed for the clear and unequivocal development of realism and ultra-realism.

Picasso worked tirelessly. His incredible body of work proves that he was the consummate professional of art. He delved into sculpture, poetry, theatre, set and costume design and let us not forget that he invented the collage.
Picasso was the true revolutionary of art.

So, who is the greatest painter in history? Well, you tell me. But, to not let you wondering, here are a few contenders:

• Michelangelo – unmatched in power and divine drama.
• Rembrandt – master of human light and introspection.
• Claude Monet – father of Impressionism and modern vision.
• Caravaggio – light and darkness turned into revelation.
• Diego Velázquez – painter of truth before photography existed.
• Francisco de Goya – Arguably the first modern painter.

CHEERS

Ya hemos de entrar de lleno en el S. XX y en sus tantas vanguardias y diferentes tendientes artisticas. Una de las mas famosas y duraderas es el surrealismo y quien mejor para dar ejemplo de sus sutilezas que el artista que proclamó, ante el propio creador del surrealismo, André Breton, que él era el surrealismo, Salvador Dalí.

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We are about to fully immerse ourselves in the art of the XX C. and the many vanguards that flourished. One of the most famous ones, which has endured the test of time, is surrealism. Then, who better to give an example of the subtleness of this style than the artist who proclaimed himself…in front of the creator of surrealism, André Breton…to be surrealism, Salvador Dalí.

GRACIAS – CHEERS