Havana Cityscape, Cuba, 2012
6 x 4 in., oil on linen on panel
Havana Cityscape is my second painting of Havana city, my final painting in Cuba.
I talked about this one quite a bit in the interview I linked to yesterday. If you missed it, click here to tune into my explanation of this and my other Cuba paintings, along with my thoughts on Cuban art, artists, culture, landscape, etc. [The video has chapter titles, which make it easy to skip around.]
I talked about this one quite a bit in the interview I linked to yesterday. If you missed it, click here to tune into my explanation of this and my other Cuba paintings, along with my thoughts on Cuban art, artists, culture, landscape, etc. [The video has chapter titles, which make it easy to skip around.]
Speaking of art and artists... I attended three lectures given by Cuban scholars, and during one lecture, I learned that artists in Cuba can get multiple exit visas. On our last day in Cuba I met one of those artists, Reynier Ferrer (here he is on his motorcycle), who has been a resident artist in the U.S. and his work has been included in many exhibitions, including a solo exhibition at Lincoln Center. We talked a bit about his work and Rey told me that he's particularly interested in Informalismo Europeo, Debuffet, Antoni Tápies, Anselm Kiefer, DeKooning, and Franz Klein.
As I mentioned in the interview, art supplies in Cuba are difficult to find; I was told that it can take many months to get something like a palette knife. So, before I left, I bought a bunch of art supplies, packed them in my suitcase, and Rey delivered them to his alma mater, San Alejandro Academy, which is the oldest and most prestigious academy in Cuba. I was also fortunate to tour the ISA, Universidad de las Artes, which is the art university/institute in Cuba. We met the Dean and some faculty and students, and I found the architecture & studios to be fascinating. If you're interested, I invite you to learn more here.
As I mentioned in the interview, art supplies in Cuba are difficult to find; I was told that it can take many months to get something like a palette knife. So, before I left, I bought a bunch of art supplies, packed them in my suitcase, and Rey delivered them to his alma mater, San Alejandro Academy, which is the oldest and most prestigious academy in Cuba. I was also fortunate to tour the ISA, Universidad de las Artes, which is the art university/institute in Cuba. We met the Dean and some faculty and students, and I found the architecture & studios to be fascinating. If you're interested, I invite you to learn more here.
One of the last sites I toured in Cuba was the home and studio of the artist, José Fuster, who is called the "Picasso of the Carribean." Fuster's son, Alex, hosted our tour; I bought a colorful drawing by Fuster; and I hope my pictures give a glimpse into the lively energy and amazing visual impact of the place. I particularly loved these views of Havana from the roof.
I found this interview with Fuster, and I'll end my postings about Cuba with his words:
"All dreams have to be created gradually and with patience." ~ FusterThere's so much more that I would like to see and do in Cuba, but I'll write about that sometime in the future.
I'd love for you to leave a comment about Cuba or my paintings here, and if you enjoy my blog, please share it with a few friends using the links below.
Thanks for reading,
