JaZzArt en València

For those who walk this earth without ever knowing, that you reap what you have sown …

To those that have minds that hate and dream of destruction, eternity’s one unknown…

You’ve traded embraces for bullets and kisses for pain, and smiles for the bitterest of tears, and very soon, you’ll get what you fear…

C.2022, Francisco Bravo Cabrera

08 MAR 2022

Valencia, Spain   

Llegamos a otra de las vanguardias del Siglo XX, el hiperrealismo. Esta, que para mi no es mas que una técnica, me es extremadamente aburrida porque todo nace de una foto y yo prefiero ver la foto que un cuadro que imita, a la perfección, una foto. Ahora, también diré que algunos artistas hiperrealistas si han tratado de añadirle algo de emoción a sus retratos y otros, como el australiano Ron Mueck, que esculpa figuras extremadamente desproporcionadas y hacen que la experiencia de observarlas sea un tanto mas interesante. Pero bueno, vosotros al vídeo que está bueno…

As we continue on through Art History, we visit another of the vanguards of he XX C. This one is, to me of course, extremely boring and I am referring to Hyperrealism, not today’s presentation, which is metarealism beyond all limits. The reason I say hyperrealism is boring is because I would rather look at a real photograph rather than a painting that is identical to a photograph. I would always go for the real thing. Now, I have to say that there are some hyper-realist artists that do find something interesting to actually paint, like an expression of an emotion in a portrait. And the grotesqueness of painting/sculpting a figure way beyond its normal proportions as is the case with Australian sculptor Ron Mueck, can be amusing, albeit minimally. But you guys, look at the video. It’s a good one…

Gracias…

Cheers…

Ya no se enfrenta a las sombras de humo que poblaban sus recuerdos,

ya sabe resistir y ya resiste sin temor, su compromiso, su valor,

es el futuro que la espera con abrazos y con besos y ella, con el filo intransigente de su coraza, conoce su razón.

C.2022, Francisco Bravo Cabrera, 08 de marzo de 2022, Valencia, España

The «pretty face» of The Beatles back in the days of Beatlemania. The prolific, multi-instrumentalist, creator of the ideas that brought us Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour and the Get Back project, of the later days of The Beatles. And of course the power that made Wings fly throughout the 1970´s. Maca, the unstoppable songwriter, composer, film-maker, producer and yes, artist as well, soon to be 80 years young…thank God he is a Gemini male, they never age…is still going, going, going strong, creative, active and headlining Glastonbury 2022!

I thought about a lot of men and women who could have been the one that would open this new series, thought twice and concluded that it had to be a musician, pop star, pop legend. So it had to be one of The Beatles. Easy, it will be McCartney. With Paul I could not lose. This is why:

Paul is considered one of the most successful musical artists-composers of all times. He has sixty gold records and has sold more than 100 000 000 albums and more than 100 000 000 singles as both a solo artist and a member of The Beatles. More than 2200 singers have covered «Yesterday» making it the song most covered in the history of popular music . His 1977 «Mull of Kintyre», is among the singles most sold in the UK! He has been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, first as a Beatle in 1988, and then in 1999 as a solo act. Macca has twenty one Grammy awards, again as a Beatle and as a solo act. And his songs, well thirty two have hit number one on Billboard Hot 100. Paul, along with George, John and Ringo, was named a Member of the British Empire (1965), but he was elevated to Knighthood in 1997, making him Sir Paul. This, of course, was because of his music and contribution to British culture.

Needless to say I have always been a Beatles fan and Paul´s songs have been among some of my favourites. But one thing I do admire about him is his unquenchable thirst for creativity, for the search, for working his art, his craft and developing his talent. You would think that a man with his money, and his history…bloody hell, he´s done everything…would be happily retired, enjoying spending his money. But McCartney still works as hard as he did when he was in his twenties and writing pop songs with his best mate.

I hope you have enjoyed this first edition of this new series that I will diligently try to publish every Monday. If any one has a suggestion for a candidate, let me know. I am trying to keep it to the XX and XXI Centuries. Maybe I will do another one about great artists of all times but that´s for another day…

In closing, I would just like to say…

Cheers my friends, for your kind attention. your visit, your likes and comments…

This kiss of Judas in inmate’s clothes, this “look” that scares away the sparrows,

these waiting days that spiral to the bottom of a hole have reached the marrow,

and I’ve have carved in bone your portrait, oil on canvas, rust on gold, owls and seagulls to behold…

C.2022, Francisco Bravo Cabrera, 06 MAR 2022, Valencia, España

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As an artist, I have always been engaged in «the search», and it usually leads me to the place I want to be and to the things I want to discover. I have always said that…to me…all art is poetry, therefore I am a poet, a craftsman that constructs with feelings, emotions, rhymes, rhythms, lines, colours and human interactions.

The Euro-Ku is the result of one of those searches…or should I say the incessant search…and I’ve embraced its capacity to express, clearly and coherently, in everyday speech and form, some not so clear, precise or coherent ideas. It is like arranging abstract thoughts into figurative images, well defined and easily interpreted.

See the original article explaining this poetic form: https://paintinginvalencia.wordpress.com/2022/02/23/my-new-poetic-invention-the-euro-ku/

I hope you enjoy it.

A super Super SUPER classic by the greatest band ever, The Beatles!!! And as well a fitting song for this day in Valencia, a day blessed with Rain…

The songs these lads were coming up with so long, long ago and that sound…to me and to many millions I know…so fresh today. Of course, nothing and none others have been able to make anything better…

«Rain», written by John Lennon, (although it says Lennon/McCartney on the record), in 1966, it was the B side of «Paperback Writer», the best B side ever by the lads…

The last verse of the song is backwards and The Beatles were one of the firsts…if not the firsts…to use such a studio effect. John Lennon and George Martin both claim to have developed such an idea. But Lennon said he went home at about 0400 hours after a long recording session and kept experimenting. When he placed the tape in his home recorder he inadvertently…probably because he was dead tired…placed it backwards. Then he listened and liked what he heard. That was how it happened according to John…

Enjoy. And for your visit,

Cheers…

Que agradable es andar por las calles de Madrid, cuando hace buen tiempo y aunque nuestra visita fue en febrero, tuvimos la suerte de disfrutar unos días bellos, no tanto frio y buen sol.

Nothing like walking the streets of Madrid, in good weather, and although it was February, we got very lucky and had lovely days filled with sunshine…

Gracias…

Cheers…

This is my newest piece. Measuring 60 x 80 cm, I painted it with acrylic paint on canvas. It is part of a series. The first Gisela Tabú I painted at Omnia Caelum Studios Miami back in 1998.

I should give a little background…

Gisela was a character I developed for a play (musical comedy) that I wrote in 1993, which was presented in Miami. While working with the actress to develop the character we joked and played around with what would be prohibited, or taboo, when interacting with Gisela. We decided it was everything, so we called her Gisela Tabú (taboo in Spanish).

The first painting, which is in a private collection in the US, is basically a portrait of Gisela, the character of the play, and symbols of her interactions in the play. The play was called “Alas” (“Wings”).

“Gisela Tabú #2” has also been sold, to a collector in Portugal.

I consider the paintings to be “Contemporary Expressionism” and, as in many of my paintings, the “characters” exist in a pop-abstract (sometimes surreal) background.

Here are some details of GT3:

Cheers…

Mr. Putin, you will be remembered as the Stalin (mad murderer of over 30 million people) of the XXI C. STOP THIS MASSACRE AND

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

You are being a tyrant and you are abusing your own people, not to mention that damage, hurt and suffering you are causing to the Ukrainians. You do not belong there, so you should get the feck out!!!

God bless this 90 year old woman who knows who is on the right and who is on the wrong side of history…

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (Jesus)

So, this is another one of the hip, bang, up to date vanguards of the 20th Century, «Pop Art». You probably know all about it because you know who Andy Warhol is, but there is more, and more interesting artists that contributed to this genre. I urge you to watch the video…

Cheers…