Hello Luis, and welcome to NotRandomArt. The current issue is revolving around the problem of communication and identity. Is there any particular way you would describe your identity as an artist but also as a human being in dynamically changing, unstable times? In particular, does your cultural substratum/identity form your aesthetics?
The Pearl of the Antilles is where I entered this world...a beautiful Island in the throes of an ugly revolution. My identity was shaped by stories of a paradise lost and a longing for life as it used to be.v The year was 1956 ..we were the lucky ones that escaped to a strange land..one that offered the promise of freedom. This desire for freedom shaped my identity in my formative years..nonconformity ran through my veins..the shedding of constraints ingrained in my character. As an artist ..one goal is the expression of who we are ..what makes us tick..inevitably finding its way through to creative expression.
Would you like to tell us something about your artistic as well as life background? What inspired you to be in this artistic point in your life when you are now?
As a child I remember sitting with my sister and cousins around a table..the 4 of us given paper and pencil and put to draw so that we were occupied while adults tended their chores. It was just a ceramic horse reared up on its hind legs..I didn't understand why the others couldn't do it. This is when I realized I could do something others could not.
All through my school years I was the school artist...painting background scenes for dramatic plays..holiday murals and the like.
On one occasion I was asked to paint a Christmas mural..and I painted three caroling wounded Vietnam soldiers with a village being bombed in the background by helicopter gunships. Needless to say this drew a lot of controversy and was nearly taken down by the school authorities..but that was of course my intention.
To disturb..to send a message,,instill emotions and feelings..this is the goal of an artist.
Could you identify a specific artwork that has influenced your artistic practice or has impacted the way you think about your identity as a participant of the visual culture?
I loved it all..being self taught I practiced as a youngster by copying the great masters Michealangelo..DaVinci later Van Gogh..Gauguin..Picasso..mimicking their style and brush strokes..I especially liked reading about their lives..trying to understand their mind.
I discovered that my identity was a lifelong process..a neverending journey to find who I am through the creative process.
Many of your works carry an autobiographical message. Since you transform your experiences into your artwork, we are curious, what is the role of memory in your artistic productions? We are particularly interested if you try to achieve a faithful translation of your previous experiences or if you rather use memory as starting point to create.
Its all happening at once..a swirling hurricane of past experiences and emotions meld with the present..
The world is an enormous source of inspiration..one simply has to open the mind's eye and see..and feel..and create..
Seeing the world through childlike eyes ..experiencing new and wonderous things..its all ours to use and imagine and create.
What is the role of technique in your practice? In particular are there any constraints or rules that you follow when creating?
No rules need apply as far as technique..I will use a twig or a feather..paint or grains of sand... anything can be twisted and manipulated in the creative process.
I enjoy variety.. jumping from playful use of vibrant color to the monotone noir macabre .
How do you see the relationship between emotional and intellectual perception of your work? In particular, how much do you consider the immersive nature of the viewing experience?
Ying and Yang baby ...there would be no light without darkness..no joy without pain..Can there be emotion without intellectualism ?
They work together like two dancers twirling in an ecstatic dance of life..The viewer of art will look and intellectually analyse then draw from his perception an emotion.
This is the goal..this makes the circle complete.
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