| "THE CONSCIENCE
OF PAIN," 21 November through 28 December 1997
GALLERY OF THE BANCO CONTINENTAL IQUITOS, PERU
OF TRASCENDANCE - VULGARITY - REMAINS AND
PAIN
What to say after so much thinking on transcendental things,
when once and with great strength, a kick in the ass brings
us back to our unlimited reality.
We don't really want to, or better yet, the more we want to
set ourselves as an example of reflection, search, intellectual
praxism, We are not anything else but faithful executors of
our most primitive feelings, our most acute pains, our naive
ingenuity and our refined hedonism in spite of our constant
search for pleasure, which lead us inevitably to hit the floor
face down.
We feel the need to place a beautiful epitaph over a putrid
corpse, our eternal search for transcendence tangles up in
our own ties, and even so, tripping, we try to raise our spirit,
made up by our feelings but stinking of vulgarity.
Not everything that shines is gold, nor is it as complicated
as we try; things are what they are and thanks to God? Our
verbal excesses may be exhibited without any shame because
shame is not a virtue in us.
And now, without universal transcendence and without academic
praxis.
Our work will be seen? Will it be acclaimed? Is there anyone
please to take care of us? Or are niches are being reserved
only to be filled by delicate and fake remains.
"This son of the city - in fact, he is more the son of
the people's - so impudic and cowardly, mediocre and egocentric.
Today we are exposed to his range and approvals and the truth
is that at the end the final verdict, whichever it may be,
is not important. We know that the condemnation has already
been issued and in spite of that, we fit better than expected
into his own visions, in his hidden perversions. Although
we may not want so, he reflects human misery and exposes the
fruits of our beloved incest, of your failed marriages and
of your happiness that is prisoner of comfort..."
Luis Gonzales Polar
Social Communicator
BETWEEN BLUE AND PINK
Rafo Díaz is a young, restless artist, with the privilege
of the easiness to create, something hard for those of us
trying to portray forms, the product of an internal process
through fabulous color.
He is a daring young man who at 26 years of age confesses
not having stayed at the School of Arts in Iquitos because
"he felt that he was wasting his time…", in
his own words.
His work now, mostly blue and pink, show us scenes of the
marginal world of young people seeking to be understood and
happy.
I am impressed by Rafo's bravery in expressing such original
and vivid topics. However, he also showed me a series of paintings
on his poetic dreams, in which he displays an abundance of
pure fantasy and love.
He suggests breaking the small world taken by the Iquitos
painters who stayed in the landscapes and in abstract paintings.
As young people, I believe that we should pay more attention
to city elements and characters, such as the shoe shine boys
working, painted in blue which evidences the uncertainty that
surrounds their future; the young angels who allow us to discover
innocence and violence in order to be able to get close to
those marginal areas that the artist attends frequently, losing
his fear of what people might say.
Rafo is not just a painter, he also writes and is a good theater
actor. Truly speaking, we must believe in these young people
who surprise us and who not only work, but who also educate
society.
Nancy Dantas Sibina
Artist
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