JORGE LUIS ÁLVAREZ PUPO SELECTED WORKS 1998-2018

JORGE LUIS ÁLVAREZ PUPO

1 SELECTED WORKS 1998-2018

TRANCE

The spiritual world that has the capacity to enliven a work of art is often more important than the work of art itself. “At times it is troublesome that the artwork monopolizes and defines our artistic interest. The works of art are always emanations, consequences, effects that illuminate the life of the individual, the artist,” expressed art critic Orlando Hernandez, clarifying the particular struggle between life and work.

Jorge Luis Álvarez Pupo, has developed a body of work representing a universe formed by the rituals of faith through which human beings are able to enter the spiritual world. The images that appear in his photographs are completed in the mind of the spectator through the chain of events of one’s

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own experiences and remembrances, through the

the first light, like Oloddumare did when created all

manner in which the mystical and interior selves

of nature and human beings, seizing them from the

have been developed, through beliefs and faith

darkness of the reign of Echu. Men appear who

— if not through ritual and prayer then through

fight against the elements in their primitive naked-

thoughts, desires, or “visions.”

ness, on whose faces we see the gaze of terror at the forces of the power of fire shadow, and destiny.

Or simply through the idea that every one of us is formed by the religious collective conscious-

With his photographs, Pupo succeeds in capturing

ness that defines the cultural context of our

every kind of movement — the rhythm of the dance,

country,where those who are not practitioners are

the twisted movements of the possessed as they

not able to avoid the indirect daily contact. Thus

fall in a trance, the slow changes in the firelight,

art openly transmits life to us.

or the lingering form of the imagined moving spirits — like the near imperceptible vibrations that

In these impressions in black-and-white that Pupo

consume the spirit world.

produces in the penumbra of the darkroom, images of human beings emerge from the shadows with

MABEL LLEVAT SOY Art critic and Curator

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Ways, 2001

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1998-2004

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1999-2009

THE WAY BEYOND 27

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2002-2007

VISIONS 37

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 I WAS BORN

KIND OF BLUES 2004-2007

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I was Born kind of blues is a referential metaphor

instrument, the body as the main protagonist of our

to the Kind of Blue CD kind of Blue by Jazz musi-

existence, it suffers, loves, grows, falls apart.

cian Miles Davis, which transmits feelings of a very diverse nature and states of mind in a kind of ¨ Blues-

This is a body of work with an apparently peaceful

Jazz¨ mixture. The title is an associative appropria-

spirit and visually romantic, but it has a deep charge

tion of two different media which are ¨playing¨ with

of loneliness, it is a visual paradox where the fact

the same emotions. This series is the progression

that you are quietly sharing very close portions of

of two previous ones : ¨ VISIONS¨ and ¨ THE WAY

space with others does not mean you are emotion-

BEYOND¨, where I had and still have the purpose of

ally in plenitude, it is just a ¨ shelter¨ to feel yourself

being part of the speech instead being the speaker.

protected. I am talking about my own conflicts and

Self-reference is a justification that keep me inside

other’s. I’ve kept an interest in manipulating light,

the phenomena I am talking about, a way of watch-

including zones of darkness, shadow (as zones of

ing myself on a mirror instead of pointing into an-

silence), where you whisper to hide your real feel-

other.

ings. It pretends to be piece of a non written diary of people around me, society and myself as part of it.

I want to push out a sensorial discharge of the transformation you pass by in your life, using a body as an

JORGE LUIS ÁLVAREZ PUPO [May, 2004]

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WANDERING WAYS / CAMINOS ERRANTES 2009-2013

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Caminos errantes / Wandering ways is a visual reflection on the theme of migration, on the loneliness of human destiny and thow our freedom of

WANDERING WAYS/ CAMINOS ERRANTES

movement is condirioned on a daily basis. In this essay I establish a relationship between space and individual or the lack of it within the landscape. I concentrate on migrations as the physical change of environment, but also as psychological challenge to understand another culture and yet to keep alive one’s identity, even when moving within one’s own country.

On my way to produce this body of work, I´ve wondered many times how I could approach a subject

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such as migrations, without falling into the trap of

have created a false illusion of isolated and secure

what is easy and evident to the observer, running

private spaces, generating a kind of urban archi-

away from the comfortable environment of either

tectural paranoia in a form of huge blind buildings,

becoming a voyeur of what is visually expected

where psychological barriers are bigger than dis-

when talking about migrations, or either showing

tances that separate physical spaces.

protagonists as “victims” of the process which I´m

part myself.

In this work I create my own imaginary, sometimes using geometric patterns as visual codes to pre-

In several cities of the world, urban expansion is no

sent cyclical mass deployments, overcrowded

longer associated with the necessity to generate

metropolis as well as certain areas of tension with-

living spaces for individuals who move into bigger

in space-individual relationship ; in order to show

cities looking for broader employment opportuni-

not only the natural barriers but also architectural

ties. As fast as the messiness of unsustainable ur-

and social ones and also question : who am I, and

banization is developed, technocrats at metropolis

where do I fit in these new landscapes.

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THIS IS NOT A LOVE SONG...

WORK IN PROGRESS

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This is an unwritten love letter to every single person

THIS IS NOT A LOVE SONG...BUT IT ’S ALL ABOUT LOVE.

who’s been kind enough to share with me some of the most important periods on their existence.

“ This is not a love song” is a series full of metaphors, where I don’t pretend people to understand what I am talking about, I just want them to feel something.

It is just a way I found to get out of the inner darkness which inhabited my soul after I’ve lost several of the most important beings within my entourage, It’s full of pain and joy.

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In this series I’ve focussed on the tiny details which

I’ve decided using elements such as warm tones and har-

fuel my life. I’m creating this images as stories based

monic compositions that could add beauty to images in

on memories of ephemeral moments of kindness,

order to seduce the observer to come close to what they

passion and pain by using body language just as an

see or feel, instead of just walking by.

instrument.

Jorge Luis Álvarez Pupo Although I’ve been using the body in most of my pre-

December 12th 2016

vious works, it’s the first time I got “ naked”, not being afraid of losing control of the image, I’m trying to talk out of my guts.

My aesthetic choice for this series rely on the fact that I wanted to get rid of all the mercifulness contained on the expression “ I’m sorry about your loss” which I’ve got tired of listening.

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JORGE LUIS ÁLVAREZ PUPO www.pupophoto.com / artpupo@gmail.com + 32 486 31 67 58 (Belgium)

Born in Havana City, 1970. Cuban nationality.

Free Lance. Lives and works in Brussels Belgium.

Member of UNEAC (Union de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba)

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I’m a freelance photographer based in Belgium specialized in fine art, editorial and sports photography. Contributor to Getty Images Latin America. Graduated of Literature and English Language at the University of Havana, Cuba. Graduated photography at the International Institute for Journalism ¨José Martí ¨, Havana, Cuba.

I’ve been contributor to Getty Images since 2009, covering sport events such as Samsung Diamond League of Athetics, World Championships of Artistic Gymnastics, World League of Volleyball, Judo World cup & Davis Cup semi finals in Belgium, among others.

With a Fine art work focused on subjects such as migrations, religion and identity, I’ve used my photography as a way to rediscover those topics from a new perspective, sometimes using self-reference as a justification that allows me being part of the speech instead of being the speaker.

My work has been published at ESPN, The Guardian, L’Equipe Magazine, Le Soir journal, Art Fórum magazine, Paris Photo Magazine and the books “ Mapas Abiertos : Contemporary Latin American Photography 19922002”, Barcelona, Lunwerg Editions, 2005; “​Trance”​, by Percevalpress, 2003, “​The light in cuban eyes: Lake Forest College’s Madeleine P. Plonsker Collection of Contemporary Cuban Photography 2015.

I’ve exhibited in Paris, New York, Berlin, PhotoEspana Madrid, Bern; Switzerland, Havana, Sao Paulo. I’m also part of the art collections of the Albertina Museum [Austria], Pinacoteca do Estado [São Paulo, Brazil], Govinda Gallery [Washington D.C.], FNAC Photographic Collection [Paris], and other private collections worldwide.

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