M.Sebastian Araujo

Amid the craziness of the world in  a little town  on the tip of Cape Cod and on a small tropical Island  some Artists have began a dialogue of Art, Music and Life….It is through camaraderie like this that our lives and world will be changed ,and I feel it will be a change for the better.Recently I had the chance to chat with one of the Artists who are helping to make that change…Laurence Young

How did you come to know Cuba?
 I have always been curious about Cuba and its historical place and relevance to The United States. I was also fascinated by the stories from the 50’s of its glamorous nightlife and the underworld activity that drove the economy of Cuba. Then one day I picked up the book, “Before Night Falls,” by Reinaldo Arenas and suddenly it was the plight of the Cuban people that took hold of me.

What was it about the trip  that made you want to develop a series of work of based on your travels?
Two years ago I was able to go with a group to Cuba. I wanted to see La Habana and this small Latin American Island, which staved off, the largest fighting force in the world, for over 50 years. I was taken by this place, which seemed to be frozen in time. The Cuban people who are resilient inspired me. In spite of their poverty they are a proud people. But it was the artists that I met who impressed me the most. They are remarkably talented and the art they create is deeply personal and heartfelt. When I returned home ‘Cuba was all I could think about and I wanted to recreate what I experienced into my own work. The challenge was to tap into that place of probity that is vulnerable without being trite..

What are the people like there?
The Cuban people are deeply religious whether it is Christianity or Santeria. Santeria loosely translates as devotion to the saints, or santos. They are generous of spirit and heart. As poor as they are they would give you the shirt on their backs if you needed it.
In some regards they are naive to the world around them because they have literally been cut off for the last 50 years. There are those who have managed to create a life for themselves and find contentment. In fact you would be surprised how many given a choice to stay or leave Cuba would op to stay. There is however those who live a life of quiet desperation waiting for the moment that they are able to leave.

Who is your favorite Cuban artist and why?
There are so many amazing artists in Cuba that I met and it would be hard to pick and choose. However two do stand out for me, Isolina Limonta and Nelson Dominguez.

Isolina is a printmaker who creates these richly colored and textured collagraphs. The bodies of the figures in her work are filled with elements of their lives. Simple things like feathers, architecture and plants. Below the surface, however, lies deeper social observation.

Nelson Dominguez is a painter of great importance to Cuba and the art world. His original and primitive works are unyielding, beyond his style of painting. The works pull at you as you are swept up into deep fantasies of the sacred and secreted. His metaphysical world that feels like an endless abyss absorbs you.
As the Summer winds caress the crooked shores of Old Cape Cod…Art thrives and blooms in all directions. It is truly amazing how the Artists of Provincetown and the Artists of Cuba have began a dialogue between themselves ,perhaps it truly is by knowing each other on a person to person basis that the World can live and work in Harmony.
To Find out More about Laurence’s Art Click Here: www.laurenceyoung.com