Cuban Seascape No. 2 (Varadero), Cuba, 2012
4 x 6 in., oil on linen on panel
Varadero is gorgeous, and in this video interview I share the story of the the passing storms during my painting adventure on the beach. [Regarding the interview: in the description, there are handy chapter titles. It's a great way to skip around or watch the parts that interest you most. Or, to ensure that nothing is taken out of context, just wait until you're cooking dinner or relaxing, and listen to/watch the whole thing. :) Video credit: JoLynne Bremmer and Purnell Cropper at Arcadia.]
I am excited to share my experience at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana. Along with the Morandi Museum in Bologna and the LA County Museum, it is now one of my favorite museums in the world. I explain why in the interview, but I will say this: I saw some of the most confident, diverse, authentic, down-to-earth, and compelling works of art I've ever seen in my life -- and there was a lot of it. As I said in the interview, I felt like each piece was its best version of itself.
This is just the tip of the iceberg from my scribbled notes (in no particular order, and unfortunately I couldn't find links for many of my favorites):
• Jorge Arche's Portrait of Jose Marti (considered among the greatest Cuban painters) link
• Rafael Blanco Estera's prints (studied at San Alejandro School, where I donated art supplies) link
• Ramón Loy González's Descanso en el Taller, 1920 link
• Blay Augusto Oliva's El Malecon, 1929 link
• Wifredo Lam's work (The Jungle is at MoMA) link
• Enrique Garcia Cabrera's Mujeres a Orillas del Rio
• Augusto G. Menocal's No Quiero ir al Cielo, 1930 (amazing light)
• Juan Gil Garciá's still lifes (!!)
• Manuel Vega Lopez's Campina Romana (he also attended San Alejandro) link
• Eugenia Gonzalez Oliviera's Retrato del pintor and Portrait of Antonio Rodriguez Moreno
• Zaida del Rio's prints
• Felix Beltran's print rendition of Ché (an image seen everywhere in Cuba) link
• Pablo Borges
• Tomás Sánchez's large paintings link
• Juan Ricardo Amaya Pereda's self portrait link
• *Alexis Leyva Machado (Kcho)'s sculptures link
• *René F. Rodriguez and *Eduardo Ponjuán González link and link
• Abel Barroso's installation work link
• *Eduardo Rubén Garciá
• Ricardo Rodriguez Brey (paintings within paintings)
• *Roberto Fabelo's drawings, etc. link
• Arturo Cuenca link to his web site, I think
• Gilberto Frómeta Fernández's Desde el Río Bravo hasta la Patagonia (a good one to end on)
I found a Miami art gallery that seems to have a lot about Cuban artists. I can't speak to the gallery itself, but if you're interested, I highly recommend you take a look here.
I will post more about artists and the national Art Institute in my next (and last) post about Cuba. I continue to be so inspired by all your responses via emails/comments. My goal is to share as much as I can about Cuba, and I am so glad that I am able to share it with you.
After you see my video interview, I would love to hear from you. If you're American, do you have memories of US-Cuban relations? If you're Cuban, what are your memories? If you're from elsewhere, do you have memories about Cuba?
Please leave your comments here.
All my best,
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