User:Thelastofthenerdlords/sandbox

José de Jesús García Montebravo

Introduction José García Montebravo was an Afro-Cuban self taught artist. Despite not having a formal art education, was an educated man with an understanding of art, both current and historic. His work is referred to as folk art and deals with the Cuban environment and the Yoruba culture. His artwork consists of solid colors and well-defined shapes that create an iconic image. He utilizes this images various times in his work, often mixing and remixing these tropes.

Early Life José de Jesús García Montebravo was born on October 15, 1953 in the town of Cienfuegos on the south coast of Cuba (Pearlman). Art was an interest for him as a child, however, he studied geography at university and taught at Villa Clara Superior Pedagogical Institute for many years (Cranearts). Before Montebravo was a professional painter, he was a philatelist, which means he collected and was an expert on stamps. He claims to have also owned the largest and most important art collection in Cuba. However, he does not have most of his own early drawings because he gave them away (Fabio). After teaching secondary school for 19 years, he started painting professionally in 1980.

Career & Influences As a self-taught artist, Montebravo began to paint in 1980. Then, in 1984 he had his very first solo exhibition. Joan Cryst Pearlman described him as having a quite dignified and calm demeanor and despite not having a formal education in the arts, he had an amazing grasp on it (Pearlman). Montebravo has said that the lesser known critics have a tendency to make him rediscover his own work because he has done things within it that not even he realized at the time he was creating (Fabio). He lived the duration of his career in his hometown of Cienfuegos, Cuba where he was a leading member of the art community. He also served as a mentor to many younger artists. He admired Picasso, Goya, and the Impressionists. His Cuban influences include Benjamín Duarte, Rene Portocarrero, Manuel Mendive, and Mariano Rodríguez. He has read and researched what others have written on Afro-Cuban themes. During this time, Montebravo also went to New York City in July 2000 for his one-man show at the Cuban Art Space at the Center for Cuban Studies. He became so well known in art circles that in 2001, Joan Pearlman wrote an article on Montebravo in the Folk Art Messenger (Spring 2001). His works were also exhibited in the Cuban Art Collection in New York City and in 2004, they inspired art historian, Gerald Mouial who dedicated a chapter in his book, Magic Art in Cuba, exclusively to José Montebravo. Despite being able to travel to many places like New York and Europe to display his art he never moved away from his home town of Cienfuegos, where he was a leading member of the art community. He had not been able to return to the United States since he visited Philadelphia in 2002. This was because of certain foreign policy laws put in place relating to Cuban citizens coming to the United States (Indigoarts).

Work & Style Montebravo painted strong portrayals of religious figures, particularly the orishas, Santeria deities. Many of his paintings depict birds, animals, and vigorous Cuban plant life, with a strength which suggests an allegorical and religious symbolism. Montebravo’s work on paper and canvas was informed by his vast curiosity. He had a keen knowledge of natural history, art history, and Afro-Cuban religions, such as Santería. As Mouial tells us, Montebravo especially identified with “El Monte” (“the Mount”), described as, “a sacred place where dead people, spirits, animals, and plants live.” “I carry that world inside me, the world of animals, plants, and messengers of each person.” Montebravo's paintings have at least three styles. Some are portraits of Afro-Cuban orishas (Santería deities) with their symbols and attributes. He has fused these deities with images of Afro-Cuban women in lush costumes. Another early style reverberates with bold black-and-white linear designs of animals, Cuban plant life and religious figures. His strong sense of graphic design is apparent in these compositions. His most recent works move into fantasies (Escenas Fantásticas) where people and animals are blended with circus and folkloric elements. Montebravo also could be called a visionary because of the spiritual landscape of his themes. However, because he has a well-rounded knowledge of the art world in general, it is difficult to categorize him. Montebravo says that not having art training seemed unfortunate at one time. Now, however, he regards it as an advantage that has given him more freedom to express himself. When he discussed his influences, Montebravo referred to the Cuban avant-garde as well as artists from the past. Yet, Montebravo has a highly defined personal artistic voice; his work is very much his own. Although known for his stunning representations of women, elegantly depicted alone on paper or canvas, Montebravo has also created other works that are more exotic and complex.

Awards & Exhibitions José de Jesús García Montebravo was a prolific artist: his work has been presented in over 200 exhibitions in Cuba and around the world, 12 of these being exclusively his work. In his career, he received 58 prizes and 15 honorable mentions. In 1999, Montebravo exhibited his works in the Indigo Arts Gallery in Philadelphia, where it would be exhibited five more times well into his later years of life. Indigo Arts co-owner, Tony Fisher had the privilege of visiting Montebravo in his Cienfuegos studio on three occasions. And in 2002, José finally visited the Gallery and in honor of his visit one day he painted ‘La Infanta de Filadelfia’. Noted works by him include Espacios Transitados XIV, Rostros y Máscaras, Negritas en el Monte - III, Del Platanal, and Tres Figuras.

Death & Legacy On July 16th, 2010 Montebravo passed away in his home from an illness (Fabio). In honor of José Montebravo, the city of Cienfuegos had skilled sculptors reproduce his work in three dimensions, a way it had never been seen before.

Las Infantas Montebravo is best known for his powerful images of Afro-Cuban infantas(princesses), which he refers to as black dolls. In these paintings, he portrays these unmistakably black women with very organic curved lines on their body and hair and prominent shoulders. In many of these, he has them holding something in their hands that relates to his Santería or Cuban culture, such as flowers, the Cuban Flag, a turtle, a fish, or his characteristic rooster. The most striking thing in these images however has to be the counterplay between these organic bodies to their rectangular dress. These lines in the dress guide the viewer’s eyes to the infantas face and making the audience identify more with the subject. Lastly, the colors Montebravo uses are vibrant, yet he does not use any contrasting colors in these images. In a witty play on the court portraits of Velázquez as well as the Latin American “santo” (saint) icon tradition, Montebravo’s infantas are Afro-Cuban women. Montebravo says about Las Infantas: “Not everybody gets who they are. Ninety percent of the people do not know who the dolls really are because they want to see them as deities. They want to see a saint; they want to see Obatala or Yemaya. Sometimes I please them by naming the dolls after the Orishas, but they are simple little black dolls.” The reasoning for this as Montebravo states it, relates to the practice in Santería, where seashells are thrown by a santero (priest), who says: “You are So-and-so and all the deities.” These black dolls wear the characteristic clothes and necklaces of deities, however as Montebravo puts it, they are not deities, but royalty.

Escenas Fantásticas One of José Montebravo’s most long lasting series was ‘Escenas Fantásticas’ where he included various naked people interacting with Afro-Cuban symbols such as roosters, lizards, moons, and seashells, along with winged beings. The way they were arranged was in such a way that the people are equally spaced out, leaving a very symmetrical image, mimicking the arrangement of ‘santo’ icon tradition. These pieces are more eclectic than his past works which consisted of only one orisha. However, having all these orishas create one bigger picture with intricate patterns creates a piece that is mysterious yet nothing short of heavenly. Moreover, these pieces demonstrate the variety and majesty of the Cuban landscape and of Yoruba tradition.

Known Works: ''Yemija Imagen en Azul (Yemeya) Gallo con Platanos Infanta con Flores Gallo del Monte Infanta con Caracoles Woman in Red Shawl Negritas en el Monte Series, 1994 [Ink on paper] Del Platanal, 1998 [Acrylic on paper] Escenas Fantásticas (Fantastic Scenes), 1998-2008 [Ink, acrylic, colored pencils on paper] Imagene por un Altar (en Amarillo), 2000 [Acrylic on canvas] Espacios Transitados (Transitional Spaces), 2001-2002 [Acrylic, ink, colored pencils on paper] Cachita con Pichones, 2003 [Acrylic on canvas] El Pájaro Azul, 2003 [Acrylic on canvas] Rostros y Máscaras, 2004 [Mixed media on paper] El Ashé Está en Cuba serie “Infantas del Montes”, 2004 [Acrylic on canvas] Ajiaco de Fantasías, 2006 Colada Mágica, 2006 Infanta de Peces, 2006 Guindar el Sable, 2006 [Mixed media on paper] Proyecto de Ser, 2006 [Ink, acrylic, colored pencil on paper] La Noche, 2006 [Linocut on paper] Tres Figuras, 2006 [Ink and colored pencil on paper] La Imágenes Vuelan, 2006 [Ink on paper] Alado, 2007 [Linocut on paper] Buscanero X, 2007 [Ink, acrylic, colored pencil, collage on paper] Figura Alada, 2007 [Ink, acrylic, colored pencil, mixed media on paper] Cachita de Cuba de la serie “Infantas del Monte”, 2007 [Acrylic on canvas] La Hija de Oggun, 2007 Pipisigallo.com, 2007 Pipisigallos, 2007 Infanta con Flores del Monte, 2008 [Oil on canvas] Fantasía Marina, 2008 Infanta con Muñequita, 2008 [Oil on canvas] Tres Perfiles, 2008 [Acrylic, ink, colored pencil on paper] Desnuda con Pajarito, 2009 [Acrylic on canvas] Gallo Malayo, 2009 [Oil on canvas] '' Pearlman, Joan C. "Afro-Cuban Painter Jose Montebravo | The Folk Art Society of America." Afro-Cuban Painter Jose Montebravo | The Folk Art Society of America. Accessed December 06, 2016. http://folkart.org/mag/jose-montebravo

Fabio. [http://file-magazine.com/features/jose-garcia-montebravo2. "José Garcia Montebravo « File Magazine."] José Garcia Montebravo « File Magazine. July 20, 2010. Accessed December 06, 2016. http://file-magazine.com/features/jose-garcia-montebravo2.

[http://www.cranearts.com/escenas-fantasticas-cuban-painter-jose-garcia-montebavo-1953-2010/. "Escenas Fantasticas: José Garcia Montebavo."] CRANE ARTS A Community of Art Culture in Philadelphia. October 05, 2014. Accessed December 06, 2016. http://www.cranearts.com/escenas-fantasticas-cuban-painter-jose-garcia-montebavo-1953-2010/.

"Jose Garcia Montebravo." Jose Garcia Montebravo | Escape Into Life. Accessed December 06, 2016. http://www.escapeintolife.com/artist-watch/jose-garcia-montebravo/

[http://www.latinamericanart.com/es/artistas/jose-de-jesus-garcia-montebravo/biografia.html. "Arte Latino Americano, Artistas, Obras De Arte, Galerías De Arte, Museos, Comunidad De Arte Y Recursos De Arte."] Jose De Jesus Garcia Montebravo - Artista Cuba - Biografia En LatinAmericanArt.com. Accessed December 06, 2016. http://www.latinamericanart.com/es/artistas/jose-de-jesus-garcia-montebravo/biografia.html.

“Cuban Art Collection in New York City.” Cuban Art Collection. Accessed December 06, 2016. http://www.cubanartcollection.com/Image.asp?ImageID=2136510&apid=1&gpid=1&ipid=2&AKey=8V568XFL

"José Garcia Montebravo: Cuban Self-Taught Painter." Indigo Arts Gallery. October 6, 2006. Accessed December 6, 2016. http://indigoarts.com/exhibitions/jos-garcia-montebravo-cuban-self-taught-painter

Batista, Sabdiel. “Conjunto escultórico a la memoria de José García Montebravo.” Youtube Video, 2:30 minutes, [Oct 28, 2011] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ZtBZ6z9ws

External Link
For reviews/edits, please see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:TALett