INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST

Please offer a short description of your childhood and of your native country (for example, does your country have a particular history in politics or in general interest? Where did you receive primary education?

 

I was born in Quito, Ecuador in the year 1946. My childhood went almost perfect inside a solid structured family, surrounded by a stable and kind atmosphere with certain access to the music, movies, theater and books. All this, caused my creativity to grow, inclining me for the plastic arts since very early age.

I received my primary education at the School of Fátima, with English nuns, and then in the (Hogar Colegio la Dolorosa) also religious. From this time, I received the best of my ethics, moral, and artistic education.

Ecuador is a small country, situated in the Andes. It has four unique regions because of its equatorial location (latitude 0 -longitude 0), where the sun enters perpendicular. It possesses the best biodiversity by square Kilometer of the world. The most important one is the insular region of Galapagos, of nearly 5o000.000 years of volcanic origin; 95% of own species, flora and fauna are endemics, and remained remote and unknown, until the XVI century, when the Spanish Tomás de Berlanga discovered them. In the XIX century, the botanist Charles Darwin based his theory of the Evolution and Adaptation of the Species. This place became a constant living laboratory for important scientific results.

The Coast has two different ecosystems: the tropical humid forest, influenced by the north hot currents, and the driest, by the southern cold currents. Very rich in fish, the coast is one of the attractions for sports fishing. It is also an industrial sector of great importance, because of this, and for the export of tropical fruits. The Andean region possesses the greater ethnic diversity of native groups that still remain with its ancient customs, which give a true value to those towns. Cities as Quito (the capital), or Cuenca, which are enclave in the Andean mountains, aside from being modern and cosmopolitan, are a testimony of Colonial America; named the two, WORLD HERITAGE by the UNESCO, have an undeniable importance in America.

The Amazon region in the East, provides the largest Tropical Rain Forest of the world, in which Ecuador has an important part, since it is in the tree tops of the Andean region, where the humidity that feeds the rivers with water, then flow into and form the Amazon river, which is the largest one of the world. Therefore, there exists a pledge of the world scientific community, to save the Andean forests, and therefore, the Amazon with its biodiversity. This region is in essence, nature in state of perfection; it is the most important resource of the Ecuador. Besides, it still possesses ethnic groups that live in this region, with its intact customs until today, outside of the civilization.

Ecuador is a mosaic of landscapes, colors, people, art, folk cultures and gastronomy; it is easy to be familiar with it in little time because the country is very small, and its true charm to be very diverse.

 

What events, if some, have helped you develop your character?

 

I believe that the perception of all the love, support and respect received during my childhood and youth, made of myself a generous, strong person and with principles. But, it also gave me the impulse, and the almost infinite intuition to be able to do what I wanted. It must have influenced me the fact that I was the oldest sister of 11 siblings, of the same parents; it game a certain sense of human responsibility.

 

What event took you to art? Please specify year and place

 

I would say that I was always in the world of art, but I got married when I was 18 years old, after graduating, with my first and only boyfriend and I felt the need to find serious interest in other things. I continued studying more courses, and started to paint, in 1965 in Quito.

 

Please describe briefly about your family life as a young artist (for example, what were your parents dedicated to? Did you have economic difficulties?

 

In my childhood and youth, I believe I was accepted and viewed as an artist by nature. My connection with the other aspects of art, as music and letters, was latent. The typical phrase -you are an artist-, was always something very natural, as well as a real support from my parents and grandparents providing me with my classes.

My father, a travel agent, Ecuador promoter, founded the best, still considered until today, tour operator and travel agency in the country. He worked in the airline business and tourism since he was very young, making Ecuador known throughout the world, with an extensive visionary mentality. My mother, to whom I owe all my crafts knowledge, because of her obligations at home, she remained always nearby, teaching us.

 

Did you receive support from your family when you took the decision to become an artist?

 

The decision to become an artist, I took it myself, especially when my life began to turn around in a different direction, in the human aspect, already married, with children. I had some opposition from my husband's part, but my need for the art was stronger than anything.

 

Where or through what have you received you inspiration for your art?

 

My greater inspiration was given to me by my own environment, where my life developed, in the city as well as in our house and its garden, the fields, where we spent so many summers, or at the beaches observing the artisans working with baskets, vessels, embroideries and weaving. What impressed me the most were especially the festivals of the "Santo Patrono" (Holy Owner) of each one of these places; full of color they really impressed me, as well as the mountains, the forests, the flowers and the fruits. Every type of environment, the orchards, the kitchen at my grandfathers' house; it was the best way of living, with kindness. The magical sunsets, the early mornings during vacation, the main town plaza, its church and the "Pase del nino Dios", the rose garden, the ocean, the rocks, the valleys, the rivers, the sun, the moon, the deserts.

 

Have you maintained this same inspiration or have you acquired some new muse for your art?

 

The inspiration is the same one, but enriched by increasingly stronger elements, that evidence my love for the work of my people, ancient people, authentic people.

 

Please offer a short description of how your art has grown and progressed ever since you started until the present time.

 

The beginning was subtle, with little human conscience. Then, I began expressing my knowledge, my senses and love for fabrics, or for the ceramics, wood or stone worked with.

 

When did you achieve your first sale? Please mention place and date (year), and the effect this event has had in your professional life?.

 

I achieved my first sale at a collective exhibition promoted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Quito. The days prior to the festivals of Quito, in November of 1989, I did it mainly due to the insistence of my daughter, who considered that I should begin to sell them, since all my works had been donated or exhibited privately. Until this point, I should clarify that I, for a very long of time like for 15 years, left the art as second phase in my life and in spite of continuing doing it, I did not take it very seriously. But in this occasion, I noticed with surprise that the people especially foreigners that passed by, were interested in my work a great deal so I sold my first pictures, which were a sample of my "collage" technique. The answer to that obviously was the beginning of my most important phase as an artist.

 

In which artistic style do you specialize? For example abstract, surrealist, etc.

 

I specialize in two personal techniques, "Collage " abstract, "Figurative" and "Crossing", that consists of the overlapping of crossed colors, resembling small mosaics, giving the appearance of several dimensions on figures or close-up.

 

If you specialize in more than one style, specify your preferred style

 

My preferred style is that of "Crossing" because it gives me a great deal of richness and texture.

 

Has there been some event (personal or political) that has affected your art?

 

Personal or social events of importance might have an influence on me in order to express myself stronger, or subtle, but not political events.

 

Is your art a comment on specific events? For example, is your art a political expression of situations or a comment of suggested emotions?

 

My art is an aesthetic observation of things, figures, people, and spaces. In other words, to generate my emotions in some kind of art. It is not of protest neither reactionary.

 

Please express your opinion on the present state of art and where this seems to be directed.

 

The art at the present time, is so generous and extensive that can be absorbed by a great deal of people, about to generate a general sensibility and a sense of importance able to mark styles of life, due to the media communication. I believe in the contribution of new techniques like mine so that these could be prolonged.

 

Please describe your emotions during the artistic process. For example, do you compare you artistic process with a spiritual experience, a subconscious expression?

 

The art is an emotional, mental and spiritual expression before being a skill. Therefore, it is first subconscious and then in the artistic process enters in other dimensions.

 

Is there a recurrent theme in your art?

 

The artistic process puts us in evidence; it makes us demonstrate genuinely our spirit, sensibility and sensuality, and many times is the subconscious that expresses itself with impulse and sincerity. Always that aesthetic emotion of the artist and of the person that is touched by that work of art…. is pure extolled spirit.

 

Please write a list of your preferred works.

 

My favorite ones are: "AZUL OCULTO" "EL ARBOL DE LA VIDA" "LA CASA DEL SOL" "OBRAJES" "LUCES" "LA MUJER TORERO" "CIUDAD ANTIGUA"

 

Please describe each work (What inspired its creation? What emotions caused in you?

 

"Azul Oculto", is the first collage I did. Magically the sun in the blue sky started to appear behind an orange veil of sunset. "El Arbol de la Vida", I started it with my hands over linen, acrylic, and oil paintings. It came out as the strongest but at the same time and smoothest tree, with its magnificently textured branches. "La Casa del Sol", is a fantastic work, achieved with a PRE-Colombian fragment 800 years old. It was like giving a home to the sun. "Obrajes", was made with the same technique, and also with a PRE Colombian textile fragment. It resembles a field worked by hand. "Luces" was made with my crossing technique. Is a bull before being "faenado" in the Fiesta Brava. It has some fantastic sparkles that it has the appearance of several dimensions. It inspired me a great deal, the same as the "Mujer Torero", the closeness that I have with Andalusia, Spain; I like it very much. "Ciudad Antigua ", is wonderful. It has a composition of variety of linen fabrics, composed in such a way and color that finally does a scope for a small place in it, which resembles an old town. In all these, the textures and the brightness of the color is the most relevant.

 

Does being an artist have taught you new phases in your life?

 

Being an artist has involved me in the deeper part of the things, of the worlds, of the people. It has given me the generous gift to be able to share my emotions by touching, looking at my work and feeling the spiritual union that generates the work of art. It also has given me the opportunity to know more worlds, cultures and people….a more serious tone in my life. Besides it requires you to comply with the people that love your art, your clients, and your loved ones. It has moved me among various worlds, and in spite of the joy being at home (unconscious reproduction of my grandparents house at the fields), provides me finally with a new world, my future life. ?

 

Which are your ambitions in art?

 

My ambitions in art, is to improve it to a maximum level, spiritual and artistic.

 

What objective do you wish to achieve in art?

 

Promote my work throughout the world. Specially, to put in evidence its connection with my ancestors and the industrious people of my country, especially women.