Rafael Lopez Ramos

Untittled - Untittled

Born in Sancti spiritus in 1962. Graduated from the School of Plastic Arts in San Alejandro and from the Art Institute of Higher Studies. Has shown his works in Havana. Has also participated in collective exhibits in Cuba, Venezuela, 1991 and New York 1992.

Rafael said: "It is true that perestroika opened up the doors to the open criticism of works since the crisis of socialism is closely linked to the practice (of open criticism). Artists in Cuba had started to perceive and advertise our works much prior to the soviet perestroika. This gave us the illusion that, since our perestroika had not started, we could bring it about from the cultural arena". "......You are, or think you are, a critic towards the powers that manifest themselves as thus, but you need its approval, its allowance of a space---he controls them all---and, without knowing it, you end up legitimizing it, taking water to the mill and patting it on the back. The first lesson which you must learn here is that the intellectual here cannot aspire to become in a Critical Conscience of society, because "power" is the self-proclaimed critical conscience, historical, religious, esthetical, etc...Only by assuming with patience and discipline an alternative role can an artist receive the Order of the National Culture, the replica of Maceo's machete or allowed to travel abroad".