IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 7 ENGLISH | Page 105

which one must deal with at some point,
these have not been the hardest things
for me to deal with. Instead, it has been
to find models that fit the piece’s particular requirements and are willing to do
the work. Sometimes not even paying
them is enough because there are many
folks who have prejudices against nudity
and sexuality. I have found women who
are willing to do it but their partner’s
machismo has been an obstacle, and
both they and I have been left with the
desire to the work but not been able to.
How do you manage to go back and
forth from being an artist and a gallery director?
That is the million-dollar question. It is
very complicated because the responsibilities that come with being a director
require 24 hours of dedication and focus;
it takes heart and brains. But, I try to do
it as best as I can. In one month, I sometimes relegate my role as an artist a bit
because I must be the director; at other
times, when there is a lull in activities at
the gallery, I try to delegate and get
work done. This is when I can devote
myself to my work. All this organization
takes a lot of time.
Can a visual artist make a living from
what he or she does? Is it easy to sell
the work once it is printed? How is it
promoted?
It is not easy, anywhere in the world.
Normally, publicity is done on TV or
radio, even at the galleries where the
work is exhibited, or through art dealers
who work all around the world except
here in Cuba, or at least there are fewer

of them. Then there is Facebook and
other particular digital platforms, but
they are not accessible to average Cubans, there are not feasible, nor are they
available due to lack of connectivity, at
least, in my case. It may be that other
artists have that possibility and can exploit it.
You recently participated in a photography session with writer and visual
artist Nonardo Perea. How was that
experience? I know you both have
different ways of working images.
First of all, I love working with him.
Secondly, regarding what you say about
the different ways we do our work I’d
like to confess that I appreciate his work
and it interests me a great deal precisely
because of the diverse criteria, the different ways of working. This is how one
learns, both for what what you have in
common in your work as well as due to
the different techniques used for achieving your goals. Besides, talent increases
when it is multiplied.
Are there photographers in Cuba that
allude to the gay theme?
Of course there are, for example, René
Peña, Nonardo Perea, Irolan Marselli,
etc.
Don’t you think themes like the erotic
and nudity are trite now?
If we look at things carefully, all themes
are trite, because people sometimes think
that if they deal with the contemporary
moment and today’s problems they can
escape from them. But, what hasn’t
changed is denouncing those things that
are still going on in society, even if the

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