WAV 2008 - English version
Impressions, experiences and reflexions from and after
"World Art Vision 2008”, Cancún - México, December 5 – 14 2008.
Recently arrived back in Sweden after a participation as an exhibitor and - now here – as a writer at this world event in Cancún, Mexico. After a little more than a week on home soil still quite amazed and tumbled – not sorted out in my head yet - of and by and after all the strong impressions and intensive experiences, which streamed on to me in this exotic, tropical environment at the shores of the Caribbean. Here the world's at present – pure artistically – most outstanding pictorial artists have been presented to the public and to each other – through all the different kinds of visual idioms, that the creative ability of mankind can give rise to and seemingly also in borderless ways . Of the about 100 invited artists from the 5 continents ca 80 had both the opportunity and possibility to attend to this world gathering. Where 2 of which were from Sweden – Bengt G. Eriksson from Ulricehamn and myself.
To function as an exhibiting artist on one hand and as a watching writer on the other - at the same event, handling both sides - could easily be perceived as a ‘conflict of interest’, which never is so difficult as it might seem at first look. In reality it is much simpler than many people imagine – you just have to ‘choose side’! To really ‘zeroe’ one aspect of one's attendance. Just as my own art presentation and reactions to that here are ‘zeroed’. I have done so before in my writing in connection to exhibitions where I did participate and is also what I am doing here and further on in this article..
So now I write as a visitor and viewer – experiencing the others – their art works and individual personalities. For space reasons I also as usual use “The privilege of the trained art viewer” – i.e. writing about and showing ‘my subjective' favourites and the raisins in the cookie. As it is a very well known fact – any kind of ‘objectivity’ is never a granted feature within the field of art – perhaps possible as some sort of approximation in the form of a ‘consensus’. Which then can account for how trends and diverse directions of taste appear and have appeared through the whole history of art. But “objectivity” in any strictly scientific sense does not exist at all – no!
This – as announced in the ‘in advance information’ – first Edition of a series of coming ‘Art Biennials for The Americas’ also offered a number of very rewarding and educating seminars or lectures with a special focus upon the Mexican tradition of visual art and the - here in México - so well evolved ‘mural art’ – “al fresco” – for its own population – “El Arte para el Pueblo Méxicano”.
The great ‘Masters’ in modern time ‘really took off with Diégo Rivera – with an immense influence in art's evolving growth in México as well as in Europe and the USA through the years ahead up to the 1950 – 60. Among others did e.g. Pablo Picasso learn more from Diego Rivera during their mutual years of work in Paris than the other way around! Without the Diego Rivera, the Frida Kahlo, the David Alfaro Siqueiros, the Orozco, the Rufino Tamayo a.o. it is quite plausible that the European and the North American art as well would not have had its prosperous growth in ideas and stimulanse as it then happened. Something worth to consider and give some serious thoughts about! Perhaps we really ought to invite and gather a group of the representative and best Mexican artists to Sweden and Scandinavia – perhaps to the Museum of Modern Art i Stockholm? Yes, I think this would be a great event not only for Scandinavia but for the whole of Europe!
The earlier students and assistants to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera – who were in all good vigour in spite of high age – Mtros Arturo Garcia Bustos (85), and Arturo Estrada Hernandez (83) and Mtra Rino Lazo (83) and Professor Mtro Rolando Arjona Amábilis (88) – they all presented their highly appreciated lectures and during the pauses for questions and additional information afterwards I had the possibility to ask questions and this way also had the advantage of getting to know them all just a little.
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I also became acquainted and friend with Mr Gregorio Luke - who really is 'something else' I might add - in its most favourable sense...most!... - when thinking back on my very diverse life in various positions and functions. I have never ever before enjoyed such a fully complete lecturer and 'estradeur' in any context before. He really 'lived' what he showed us and talked about - and I really mean 'lived'! The audience was literarily spellbound - as it were - yes. During his first lecture on Diego Rivera I just got this immediate and intense experience and feeling of 'this is important for the rest of my life!' - and now I understand it, some time later 'yes, and it is' - because I suddenly understood my own obligation to myself as a human and as a painter...I did not know much about Gregorio in advance - more than just a few lines I have read - no more. And now he is just here telling us - me, about things in the still very much alive Mexican art history and tradition, that I earlier didn't have even a real 'clou' of or at least just vaguely. I now realize that I have just been so fortunate as to witnessing a veritable 'nature force' in knowledge and competence about presenting the mere content of his message to the world of humans. Perhaps I am not the only individual sharing this intense and insightful presence and nearness of these individual artists´ lives. But I can assure You that now I have met one of the most charismatic and self going individuals in the world of art - 'not growing on every tree'! And I am not at all being impolite to my fellow artists here when stating for myself "that Gregorio Luke turned out be 'the outmost cream and essence' of this whole magnificent event - WAV!" I also now understand why he is 'not just a lecturer on Mexican art and the art of Latin America' - he is one of the most gifted and talented art personalities and I also now understand that he has the foremost capacity of all to mediate the thoughts and ideas that have origin in Mexican social art history and tradition. And also that he is the most powerful teller and specialist in the world of Latin American culture and art. He has nobody to face in that hypothetic competition - because there is no one else. Not at all. Another observation - and notable - is that on his 'card' is just printed 'Gregorio Luke' - no connections, no affiliations, no obligations... I advice You to try and grab the possibility to go and listen to Gregorio Luke from Long Beach, California - because "He is a free man" in its best and deepest sense and yet also really committed and engaged at the same time - thanks to this - his freedom! (Website www.gregorioluke.com ) How often can You meet a 'really free individual'? I know who he is - because I am one too - with quite a lot of 'burnt bridges'..."And don't You ever loose 'Tu Loco'"! he said. Here he is - as always - focused and listening.
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This photo was taken right before the Gala Dinner and here you see Mr Gregorio Luke in white jacket and Mtra Rina Lazo in elegant, traditional Mexican dress with Mrs Matty Roca behind and Rosario Giovannini and Argelia Castillo in the back:
Nearest to the camera: Maestro Arturo Estrada Hernandez…
Oh yes, afterwards like now it feels as if I have been joining something totally overwhelming and very important for the rest of my life – a ‘once in a lifetime thing’.Really cleared my eyes for other possibilities and other solutions within art in the shape of completely senseless impressions of image art that I never seen earlier - this near and immediate. Yeah, it's hard to find words to cover it all. Then rounding off here this needy and long introduction to continue with a selection of pictorial art which is solely my own subjective choice. Because of attraction as well as of courtesy I begin with Maestro Rolando Arjona Amábilis and a part-scission from one of his murals – “Horizonte de justicia…”
”Horizonte de
justicia…” – óleo sobre tela y lino
followed by more interesting Mexicans – as here Gabriella Epstein, Mexico City
”Continuo” – diptyk – mixed media
And here
Maximilliano Pérez Aquino, Oaxaca, México.
Here with an oil painting on massonite with his typical and playful mixted transitions between dream and reality – against a Mexican background…
“La Fiesta”
Here were also some others of attraction and interest and among others Leticia Cabrera from Cancún - young, successful graphic designer and painter with a certain cubistic flair...
”Naranja Dolce” – mixed media on canvas - 170x120 cm
and
Rafael Aguirre, Laguna, México.
With a contemplative and slightly surrealistic tone in his paintings. Oh, and besides that a very pleasant and sympathetic fellow (“Yo Soy!”) and my local guide-friend during the event – also as well as language and choice of food and dishes are concerned.
Sin titulo – técnica mixta
Paulina Martina Ascencio, México
Sin titulo – tecnica mixta.
From here on - a transition to some other artist very worthy seeing:
So now first Bengt G. Eriksson, Ulricehamn – Sweden
With this great “Green Landscape…” with a very strong ‘pull’ force in it! Yeah, my vision is literary sucked into the image. Gave a remarkable association to Tuscany or Provence… somewhere. Very special and damned good!
”Green Landscape” – acrylic on canvas.
Here a really suggestive painting in oil on canvas by Margarita Tejeda, Cuba – “Ensueño..”
Giovanni Ashavadur, Cozumel, Mexico – who well connects to the Mexican tradition of tales and legends – with ornamentiques and fables integrated woven together – I could see a kind of kinship with our own old friend Ardy Strüwer – maybe…
”Canto Caribeño” – acrylic on canvas.
Here a very well known and well established painter and very sympathetic gentleman from Medellin, Colombia – Francisco Gutiérrez…with this elegant and suggestive painting...
”Sin titulo” – oil on canvas.
Carina Damais, Holland – works in all thinkable materials and techniques and right now with digital pictures on plexic glass – quite suitably surrealistic and fascinating..
Without title
And here now a whirling dervish by artist Figen Begen, Turkey – nowadays living in Paris, where she works as a teacher at École des Beaux Arts…
Strikingly many sculpturors were here with – in most cases – rather ’main stream’ lined art works. But I was a bit ‘hooked on’ to Emilie Cummings-Enneking, Holland and this very harmonic and simultaneously exciting sculpture in bronze – this a scale model ca 2 meter high – but the ‘original’ is about 9 meters high and these days positioned in Tuscany outside Florence – on a high hill, well visible from the city of Florence....
”Equanimity”
The only American artist here was Margaret LaBounty from New York and with this single piece of art – a suggestive painting – tuning me into associations to among others the Aku Aku stodes on Easter Island and the forgotten legends of history…
”Ancient Rhythms” – acrylic on canvas…
The Dutch artists were unusually richly represented here – which can be explained by the strong historic tradition for pictorial art in Holland . So here now ‘a youngster’ with a outspoken flair for the publicly trendy and sensual – Martin J.A. Nijman, Holland – living and working in Normandy, France.
”She´s my Sweet Flower..” – oil on canvas
It could not be avoided that I - at the very first – became totally catched and almost absorbed by many of the Latin American artists – because as I see it – it's here in Latin America the essential and powerful new evolution in pictorial art really happens….Not in Europe anyway… perhaps in the USA? So that's why I choosed to share this ‘heavy’ and quite different Mexican – Conrado Dominguez Rodriguez – who as well as the next man is not confined to rectangular surfaces and yet adhere to real good Mexican image tradition….
”Equinoccio” – mixted media.
So here then Enrique Trava Diaz – with whom I was fortunate to get really acquainted - during our conversations – a 52 year ‘youngster’ with very awake eyes and a energetic apetite for most of things in life and art – also running his own gallery in Merida, Yucatan, about a 4 hours drive from Cancún. He is one the front persons within the Mexican art scene and of course well established in whole North&South America.
”Opuestos Complementarios” – acrylic on wood laminate – 2x2 meter.
Another very sympathetic painter and architect (!) is this young man around 30 – in the middle of a national fast career – David Eduardo Hernandez Barriada with this quite gorgeous study in colour, shadow and light…
”Pink” – mixted media on canvas.
And finally I have saved this Polish artist to the end of this rhapsodic image cavalcade – who could unfortunately not be here himself – and therefore I show 2 of his paintings - with faces so well catched in their expression, which I did not believe possible – with a presence without all correspondence – and well matching the level with “Indian woman” by Eva Rödset some years ago - his name is Artur Zurawik, born -74…Enjoy them…
”Bowie” – oil on canvas
(fake name, due to the lack of all these titles, measures, techniques and other facts trough out the whole exhibition – a serious blunder and shortcoming by staff and organizers!)
And now here my overall and decided favourite in the whole WAV art event – the real clou: 'This masterly, alive story of a human in crisis' – just in that very moment of insight about the cruel truth that hits him – with his vague, unsecure hand movement before the mouth and face as enhancing gesture to a silent cry - and yet the second before his facial mimic turns into agony and dispair and he roars: “No, no! It can't be true!? Nooo…!”
”Pavel” (?) – oil on canvas.
And why on Earth the well-known painting by Edward Munch - ”Skriet” - is considered a strong painting – perhaps so – but not even in the neighbourhood of this – so humanly present...as this one by Zurawik! Here we have - nothing but – “TEMPERATURE”!
To summarise and conclude – from this yet so Latin-American featured gathering of the most outstanding contemporary art on the ‘world´s art stage’ with all these immense impressions and expressions – I'm willing to admit I am still quite a bit tumbled somehow in my soul as a painter.
A majority of the present artist experienced that some serious basic considerations both can and should be improved for future events of this kind – especially concerning information for the artists and to the visitors. Some things were purely badly thought through and carried out or not carried out at all! E.g. three were practically no places to have a seat and chairs were a very scarce commodity in these huge halls. 'The Rules of regulation’ were not adhered to even by the staff - i.e. were shifted or changed during the event or even adapted – causing confusion and insecurity about what was ‘due or not’ – was it a ‘Fair’ or was it just an ‘Pure Exhibition’ with sales not allowed – that was unclear and even dubious. So this was so far from a ‘fair’ as one can imagine – and information wise so badly carried out as a completely ‘minimalistic contemporary art show' with some of the worlds most outstanding artists! To what purpose I might ask? No rational explanations at all!
Among the most serious shortcomings caused by the staff was this: “No information at all at the stand of each artist concerning ‘Titles, techniques and measures’ for each art work…!” Just the name of the artist and the country! The title is one of the most basic, crucial detail which is very often integrated with ‘soul and built in identity’ of the art work. Something that also caused a widespread unclarity among visitors and artists and many unnecessary questions. The exhibition was open to the public every day between 11.30 A.M. and 21.30 P.M.. It's obvious that no one of the artists managed to keep up personal service, presence and attendance for 10 hours - just by mere fatigue!
It goes without saying that many participants were deeply disappointed as well as really angry about the factual situation. Very few if any informed the staff about the missing and so important details more than half-hearted – and the obvious mistakes were not corrected during the event – in ‘my book’ it qualifies for ‘arroganse and self rightfulness’. As a result I feel it as my obligations to point out these mistakes and shortcomings to be improved in the future. This article will be sent to my new friends at WAV as wells as to some ‘Art Magazines’ in Europe and the USA and will also be published in my ‘Blogg’ – www.pegren.com/blogg.html
But and there is a huge BUT – I want to emphasize this: 'THE PLUS SIGNS' for the whole WAV 2008 event. In a total view - these wonderful and exciting days in Cancún have meant to me: “The greatest personal experience in connection to art in my whole LIFE!” - perhaps even a little bit more 'heavy' than the “Biennale di Firenze 2005!”
And after all – what is ART all about? Its ‘Purpose – Function – Meaning'?
In my mind and opinion nobody can answer that better than my old friend Lars Foxe when he wrote his CREDO in Madrid in 1989. “The Message of the Red Flower” and here in its original Spanish version as a courtesy to México and the Mexican People..
In 2010 it is time for the next “WORLD ART VISION” – not necessary in Cancún but in MÉXICO – perhaps I'll be there – if I’m not ‘blacklisted’ for my critical points of view? But that in its turn would be a weak reaction to a sane and sound criticism. I'll manage… Oh, yes!
Thank You for taking Your time to share these images, thoughts and lines!
Dag O´Pegrén
Artist and art critic&writer. M.A
Edited 2009-01-17
- updated 2009-01-12
PS!
1. A similar reporting article - from Biennale di Chianciano, Toscana, Italy - is now available to see and read...at: http://www.pegren.com/biendichian09.html
2. There are more photos to see at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldartvision
DS.