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.
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.
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El primero es de la serie JaZzArt en València, Fase II, etapa rosa, número uno,(La serie completa en Instagram: @Francisco_Bravo_Cabrera). Mide 25x35cm y la técnica, grafito (lapices) y tinta sobre una base abstracta de acuarela. La bailarina ocupa el centro de la composición y sus músicos ocupan el lateral izquierdo, mientras que la simbología ocupa el derecho, siendo esta un búho…
La danza es algo mágico-sensual, el arte que siempre nos ha fascinado. ¿Acaso Salomé no bailó con tal sensualidad que embrujó a Herodes con los movimientos de su cuerpo y esto terminó causándole la muerte a Juan el Bautista? ¿Hace falta decir más?
Okay…
The first one is from the series JaZzArt en València, Phase II, Rose Period, Number One. Measures 25x35cm and I painted it with graphite and ink over an abstract background done with watercolours. The dancer occupies the central part of the composition. She has to the right the musicians and to the left symbology in the form of an owl…
The dance is magic-sensuality and is the art form that has always fascinated mankind. Didn’t Salomédance so sensuously that she bewitched Herod with her movements and this ended up causing the death of John the Baptist? Need I say more?
(C.2021, All Rights Reserved)
El segundo…«Terminando la pirueta»…lo he pintado con pintura acrílica sobre tela cien por ciento algodón. Mide 30x60cm y va ser el primero de un triptico que aún está por pintar. El tema es, igual que el anterior, la danza, la sensualidad del movimiento rítmico, fluido, coreografiado o improvisado, pero destinado a ser placentero y bello. ¿Acaso no dicen que los bailarines son «sex-symbols»?
Bailar, con o sin pareja, es un acto social y también uno artístico. Bailamos en nuestras casas cuando nos sentimos felices y queremos celebrar, solo o acompañados. Lo hacemos también en las fechas importantes de nuestra vida, como el día en que nos casamos, en las fiestas de noche buena y por supuesto en la noche vieja ya que dicen que si comenzamos el año bailando bailaremos el año entero. ¡Venga!
The second one is titled «Terminando la pirueta» («Finishing the Pirouette»). It is acrylic on canvas and measures 30x60cm. This is the first of a triptych that I have yet to paint. It’s theme, again, is the dance, the sensuality of motion, of rhythm, fluid movements, choreographed or improvised, but destined to give pleasure and be beautiful. Or don’t they say dancers are «sex-symbols»?
To dance, with or without a partner is a social act and an artistic one. We dance at home when we are happy and we want to celebrate, with others or alone. We also dance at those important times in our lives, like the day of our wedding, on Christmas parties and of course on New Year’s Eve! They say that if one starts the year dancing one will be dancing the whole year! Smashing good!
(C.2021, All Rights Reserved)
El tercero…y último…es un cuadro que he titulado «Fiesta». La técnica, acrílico sobre tela y mide 50x60cm. Se imponen, sobre un fondo abstracto dominado por los colores rosas y amarillos, cinco siluetas, tres bailando, una haciendo unos movimientos gimnásticos y uno tocando un tambor. Se palpa el movimiento en la composición, se sienten los golpes en el cuero del tambor, se respira la alegría de los bailarines y de todos…
Concluyendo, digo que bailar es una reacción humana que surge cuando estamos felices, cachondos o cuando queremos alabar al Dios que nos creó. Los bailarines somos nosotros, la música nos motiva y nos hace movernos al ritmo de un tambor o de una pandereta, pero la música que mas nos ha de hacer bailar está dentro de nuestros oídos y nadie más la puede escuchar…
The third, and last one, is titled «Fiesta» («Party»). It is done with acrylics on canvas and measures 50x60cm. The composition is made with an abstract background, mostly in rose and yellows wherein five silhouettes abide. Three of them are dancing, while one is doing some gymnastic-type movement and one is playing a drum. One can feel the movement, one can hear the pounding on the drum and one can sense the joy of the dancers and all…
In conclusion I will say that dancing is a human reaction that surges within us when we are filled with happiness, when we feel sexy or when we want to praise the God of our creation. We are the dancers and music motivates us and makes us move either to the rhythm of a drum or a tambourine. But the music that really makes us dance is the one that only we can hear and no one else can…
(Imagenes, de los cuadros pintados por Francisco Bravo Cabrera, son propiedad de Francisco Bravo Cabrera y no pueden ser reproducidas sin permiso escrito. Derechos Reservados. C.2021, All Rights Reserved)
(Images of the paintings done by Francisco Bravo Cabrera are the property of Francisco Bravo Cabrera and cannot be reproduced without written permission. C.2021, All Rights Reserved)
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Comenzare por deciros que el trabajo de José Guadalupe Posada me encanta. Nació en Aguascalientes en 1852 y fue grabador, ilustrador y caricaturista. Se hizo muy popular por sus escenas costumbristas, y sátiras sociopolíticas, pero mas que nada por sus ilustraciones de calaveras, la mas llamativa entre ellas, La Catrina. Posada estudió en la Academia Municipal de Dibujo de Aguascalientes y a los dieciséis años comenzó a currar.
(Posada con La Catrina/Image source: Emprendedor)
Las calaveras de Posada representaban la vanidad de los vivos ante la implacable realidad de la muerte. Las dibujaba montadas a caballo, en montando bicicleta, señalando las lacras, la miseria y los errores políticos de su país. La Catrina, o también llamada La Calavera garbancera, se burla de indígenas enriquecidos durante el regimen militar de Porfirio Diaz (1876-1911) que despreciaban sus orígenes y costumbres, y querían vestir modas europeas.
El mayor referente para Posada fue, sin dudas, el grabador Manuel Manilla (1830-1895) quien fue el primer caricaturista de estas calaveras. Se reconoce que ambos, Posada y Manilla influyeron en artistas como Diego Rivera, y otros.
(Grabado de Manuel Manilla/image source: México Desconocido)
Seguiré con algunos de los grabados de José Guadalupe Posada y ya me diréis lo que os pensáis…
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(Grabado de Posada/Image source: Relatos e historias en México)
(«Dinamita»/Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
Since I rarely do a movie review or critique, I will not shape this post as one, I will just tell you what I thought about A House of Dynamite, which I saw last night on Netflix…
Well, in my opinion it is a movie made by, or greatly assisted by, the US government. I have concluded this after realising that many of the scenes could not have been shot without the cooperation (and collaboration?) of the government of the US.
The movie looks rushed and the actors did not really have an opportunity to develop their characters. It is created with scenes where they simply play the part and say the lines they were assigned without reference to any other part of their lives (meaning the character’s lives). This leads me to believe that it was created for propaganda purposes and perhaps to send a message in the manner that has been called «soft disclosure.»
Recently US President Trump said that the US would start testing nuclear weapons again because other nations with nuclear arsenals were constantly testing theirs and the US had not tested them for many years (he meant since 1992). Well, who are the other countries? Aren’t they the usual suspects? Meaning Russia, India, Pakistan, Britain, North Korea and possibly Iran…
Then this movie comes out precisely dealing with an unprovoked attack with a nuclear missile coming directly towards a US city and they cannot sort out who launched it. The president has been briefed by a deputy assistant to the National Security Advisor and a General. The Secretary of defence jumps off the roof and just as the president is about to decide if the US would retaliate (towards whom it was not said), or not, the movie ends.
If you have seen this picture I would really love to hear your opinion on whether this movie is just «for entertainment» as US Defence officials have said, or whether there is more to this. The movie was released during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on the 2nd of September, 2025. It was nominated for the Golden Lion.
Comenzare por deciros que el trabajo de José Guadalupe Posada me encanta. Nació en Aguascalientes en 1852 y fue grabador, ilustrador y caricaturista. Se hizo muy popular por sus escenas costumbristas, y sátiras sociopolíticas, pero mas que nada por sus ilustraciones de calaveras, la mas llamativa entre ellas, La Catrina. Posada estudió en la Academia Municipal de Dibujo de Aguascalientes y a los dieciséis años comenzó a currar.
(Posada con La Catrina/Image source: Emprendedor)
Las calaveras de Posada representaban la vanidad de los vivos ante la implacable realidad de la muerte. Las dibujaba montadas a caballo, en montando bicicleta, señalando las lacras, la miseria y los errores políticos de su país. La Catrina, o también llamada La Calavera garbancera, se burla de indígenas enriquecidos durante el regimen militar de Porfirio Diaz (1876-1911) que despreciaban sus orígenes y costumbres, y querían vestir modas europeas.
El mayor referente para Posada fue, sin dudas, el grabador Manuel Manilla (1830-1895) quien fue el primer caricaturista de estas calaveras. Se reconoce que ambos, Posada y Manilla influyeron en artistas como Diego Rivera, y otros.
(Grabado de Manuel Manilla/image source: México Desconocido)
Seguiré con algunos de los grabados de José Guadalupe Posada y ya me diréis lo que os pensáis…
+++
(Grabado de Posada/Image source: Relatos e historias en México)
(«Dinamita»/Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
Since I rarely do a movie review or critique, I will not shape this post as one, I will just tell you what I thought about A House of Dynamite, which I saw last night on Netflix…
Well, in my opinion it is a movie made by, or greatly assisted by, the US government. I have concluded this after realising that many of the scenes could not have been shot without the cooperation (and collaboration?) of the government of the US.
The movie looks rushed and the actors did not really have an opportunity to develop their characters. It is created with scenes where they simply play the part and say the lines they were assigned without reference to any other part of their lives (meaning the character’s lives). This leads me to believe that it was created for propaganda purposes and perhaps to send a message in the manner that has been called «soft disclosure.»
Recently US President Trump said that the US would start testing nuclear weapons again because other nations with nuclear arsenals were constantly testing theirs and the US had not tested them for many years (he meant since 1992). Well, who are the other countries? Aren’t they the usual suspects? Meaning Russia, India, Pakistan, Britain, North Korea and possibly Iran…
Then this movie comes out precisely dealing with an unprovoked attack with a nuclear missile coming directly towards a US city and they cannot sort out who launched it. The president has been briefed by a deputy assistant to the National Security Advisor and a General. The Secretary of defence jumps off the roof and just as the president is about to decide if the US would retaliate (towards whom it was not said), or not, the movie ends.
If you have seen this picture I would really love to hear your opinion on whether this movie is just «for entertainment» as US Defence officials have said, or whether there is more to this. The movie was released during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on the 2nd of September, 2025. It was nominated for the Golden Lion.
(«Las tres»/Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
These three are very interesting and quite different in style and approach to their creative process. I think they are a great special edition to this series of «Art History in One Minute (videos)«.
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(«Bododesigns 2002″/Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
This is certainly not a top 5 for me at all, but it is a top 5 according to many sources in the current art world. So, if you ask me if I agree, I would say I did not, at least not entirely.
David Hockney (UK) Hockney was born in Bradford, UK in 1937. His style is consistent, always with bright colours, emotional realism I would venture to say, and he also does a lot of iPad paintings, in other words digital art and exploration (I do a lot of that and I do like Hockney).
He matters because he is considered a modern master of perception and colour (by «experts»). He seems to be quite able to bridge classic British painting with a new digital optimism. His signature works: A Bigger Splash, Portrait of an Artist.
Jenny Saville (UK) Saville was born in Cambridge in 1970. Her style is to create monumental figurative paintings of the human body. Her paintings are raw, visceral, unapologetic and quite impressive I may add. (This painter I do really admire).
She matters (and I agree) because she is one of the strongest contemporary voices in figurative painting today. She has reclaimed the human body in art and paints her subjects without objectification but with her own tenderness and visual force. Her signature works are Propped and Plan.
Cecily Brown (UK/US) Brown was born in London in 1969. Her style is abstract expressionism with a merging of figuration, that also blends with movement, emotion, and sensual chaos. (Although I am not a fan, I do respect her work).
This artist does matter as she has become quite influential as an abstract painter, and many consider that she breaks new life into painting itself. (Not too sure about that last statement).
Njideka Akunyili Crosby (Nigeria/US) Njideka was born in Nigeria in 1983. Her style is what is called layered portraits which combine painting with collage and photographic transfers. (I am not too thrilled with her work). However, she matters, I suppose, because “they” say she is a leading voice of global contemporary art, exploring identity, diaspora, and memory.
Kerry James Marshall (US) Marshall, born in Alabama (US) in 1955, paints large, deeply narrative portraits of Black life and beauty. He matters because he is hailed as one of the most important American painters of our time; his work reshapes how history and presence are painted. (Not to me)
Well, next time I will do a full top 10, but now I want to know what you think. Do you agree with the «experts» or do you have your own opinions, or even agree with me? Let me know so that we can keep the conversation on art going.
JaZzArt en València 