Cuban Art and Music holds a rich history in the country being one of the most influential aspects that the outside world is able to enjoy. Art in Cuba combines African, European, North and South American to create a reflection of the rich culture. After the embargo cut off the rest of the world from Cuba they were left to be their own influence on what they create. After the revolution in 1959, many Cuban artists fled the country to try and make art elsewhere for fear of censorship, however, many stayed to create art under the new regime. I am personally excited to experience the street art movement that happened during this time which must make the streets very lively and bright. This visual aspect of Cuba is very important to the people who live their and the export of Cuban art to other countries. The embargo that we learned about last module was imposed by the United States which prevented all business and trade that was conducted with Cuba from the US. During this time artists had a difficult time with selling and exporting their artwork but they were able to create many different mediums. The socialist party although censored the art that was being made still were able to produce wonderful and subtle art pieces that challenged not only the mind of the audience but the very government that imposed these restrictions. Now there is no state influence over the art but it is still a very difficult dance for artists as a strong political message that they make could be censored.
The art that I viewed in this module all had the same aura to them. Although each and every technique was different and the art tools used may have differed they all seemed to showcase the reality that Cubans were facing in the past. As commented in the WBUR News Podcast, art and music in Cuba is not about moving forward but about looking into the past and using these as a medium to reflect it. The art combined realism with modernity and all seemed to convey a strong emotional message to the consumer. My personal favorite was Wilfredo Lam, who painted beautifully the drama of the country. His paintings offered a mental decolonization to the rough colonial history of Cuba and the slaves/indigenous people that were forced to be colonized. Tourism is the leading economic salvation for artists in Cuba, being able to sell their art on the street, for what seems to us as cheap is in actuality what helps them and their families survive. A couple hundred or even a couple thousand (for the well known artists) is enough for a long while. In the PBR Brookline Cuba Art Revolution video they compared the artist revenue with that of a doctor's $30 a month paycheck. To think how "good" the artists have it makes me wonder why they would risk the political messaging. Many political comments could land someone in jail but many artists didn't quite care what they were saying, their artwork was made "subversive but subtle" in order to avoid censorship.
Castro, when he took over, had a vision. A vision of a utopia that led the world in it's influential art and culture, he yearned for an aggressive approach towards education, science and all things culture. Because of this and because of the free art schools that he created during his reign many artists comment that if it wasn't for Castro's approach they wouldn't have been artists at all. Following the 1989 collapse of the Eastern Bloc, Castro had braced for an economic impact on his country, and when in 1991 the national economy finally broke with losing all Soviet subsidies and trade, the government was left to try their own economic policies. How these worked out I am not sure but I do know that tourism and the exportation of Cuban Art work is two of the main sources of economy in Cuba. When tourists visit not only do they spend money on restaurants and hotels but they are there for the art, and when each tourist takes a piece of Cuban art home another tourist visits Cuba and thus a cycle of money-flow begins for Cuba.
What I am most excited for is the music! Cuban music is absolutely beautiful and has a wonderful history of dance movements as well as the combination of multiple musical genres to create their own twist. Cuba housed the world's biggest ballet school which has 3000 students and is praised worldwide for the ballet dancers that it produces. The dancing and music of Cuba updated the traditional 18th and 19th century dances, it combined the modern ballroom dancing with slow, sexy, African-style hip movements which became widely popular with the younger crowd despite it's controversy. This style can be found in Mambo, which translates to "a conversation with the gods" of which I think is the coolest translation and one most fitting. The cha-cha-cha which any Dancing With a Stars watcher will know is very popular among duo performers. The salsa, which although originated in NYC had primarily Cuban influence, continues to hold influence in countless countries. For instance, in high school I was apart of the Salsa Club, it was a very fun after school club because all we did was dance. We partnered up and danced for about an hour with no breaks; being the only fully-white student in this club I found myself in a community that I had not fully seen when I walked the halls of my high school. I fell in love with this dance style and even found myself performing it during a musical performance. I can not wait to dance when I arrive in Cuba, I'm already dancing watching these videos so I'm sure it'll carry over.
Questions:
- Do you think it is worth it to create art with political messaging about the suppressive government when these Artists live "lavish" lives in comparison to the average Cuban?
- How has this relationship between art and the economy helped Cuba and how has it not helped? Furthermore, if the economy solely relies on art how come there aren't more artists and why has it not helped more with Cuban paychecks and the shortage of toilet paper/other amenities?
- As a personal question, what about the art (whether that is music, dance or paintings) are you looking forward to the most? Will you buy any street art and help boost the economy and help the Cuban artists?
I am looking forward to seeing the physical art and maybe bringing a piece home. I think the Cuban art is very expressive and moving.
ReplyDeleteHi Emma,
ReplyDeleteI liked your analysis and it's super energetic and thoughtful! I too am most excited for the music!
1. Yes. While they may have comparatively good lives on average, not every artist has reached the threshold that the average artist has, and they still make significantly less than they could with a better-functioning government. It seems that a better government (In Cuba, but this applies elsewhere) would lift everyone's socioeconomic status, even if it is already above average for the activists. Many young adult American leftist activists come from relatively wealthy families and states, and yet advocate for political change that primarily benefits less privileged groups.
2. If there are more artists, the supply of art will increase, thus devaluing it. Fine art is only valuable because it is intentionally scarce, much like currency. It has helped the Cuban economy due to its exception in the embargo. It has not solved the shortage of toilet paper and other amenities because the primary issue is not cost, but the legality of import from the US.
3. As mentioned above, I'm looking forward to music the most, much like you! I probably will buy street art because I have before.
Hi Emma! I like how you mentioned the street art. I didnt do much research on this, but it seems super cool with the colors used and I am super interested in seeing some in Cuba.
ReplyDeleteFor question 3, I am looking to possibly buy a art peice to bring home to not only help the artist out but to also buy a peice that shows the culture and history of Cuba which I can then tell a story to relatives about my time in Cuba and learning about the history while visiting and make the connection back to the art peice that I buy.
1) I like this question you brought up. I think it's important to remember that just because a particular person or group of people are doing well, that doesn't mean they don't have the right to criticize their government (though no one has that right in Cuba, if I understand correctly). I definitely think that it's important to listen to all citizens within a society to effect positive change.
ReplyDelete2) I think that art has helped the economic situation for some people. Unfortunately, it seems that Cuba is much like the USA with respects to unequal distribution of wealth. This is strange as, to me, it sounds counterproductive in a society that prides itself on equality for all. I think this is part of the issue with why it hasn't helped with amenities/basic needs. However, Cuba also has all of its eggs in one basket, so to speak. The large majority of their economic money/funding comes from sugar. While this may be profitable to some degree, it also has the tendency to concentrate wealth within one area of the economy.
3) The part of the art that I am most interested in is the story that is told behind it. Of course, as consumers we can try to infer what is meant, but to be able to see that artist behind the work and talk to them about their piece really brings it to life for me. I am absolutely planning on purchasing something while I am there. Not only does this support the artist, but I may never have the ability to go to Cuba again to support that artist. Do it while you can, if you can.
I really enjoyed reading your post. I found myself looking forward to seeing street art when I get there too. I can't wait for the artisan market that we go to. I wanted to answer question #3, I am looking forward to being able to purchase some art, but I plan on only buying one or two things that particularly strike me and remind me of the trip. I think supporting local artists is always a good thing and if I can help someone while I'm at it then that's great.
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