Most of my projects start from casual conversations, and this was no exception. I met Pablo Caviedes back in 2015, when I participated at the Ecuadorian Art Festival in Jadite Gallery.
He was in fact the curator of this exhibit, but I had no idea who he was until a friend of mine introduced me to him.
He was very friendly and gave me some good advice about the Art World. Advice that I really needed back then, when I was just getting started with my Career in Fine Arts. We became friends since the exhibition and kept in touch until now.
I have great respect for the work of my fellow artists, and I value their friendship. I also came to realization that if we want to be successful in the art world, we have to add value to each others work to keep evolving.
During one of my visits to Pablo's Studio, I casually suggested that we should collaborate in a project. I told Pablo, that I would find a way where we can work together.
In addition, I talked to him about personal project that I had in mind and asked him if I can borrow one of his sculptures to get started. (This will make sense later!)
Weeks later, he actually took the initiative and called me about and idea he had in mind. He was about to complete a 6 years old project titled On The Map. (This photo was taken during our visit to Ed Vasquez Studio)
Here is a short excerpt from his book On The Map:
"The “On the Map” project, which began six years ago represents a personal view of
immigration, that is, a graphic perspective of what I consider a common denominator of our American identity." - Pablo Caviedes
He thought that a Film about his creative process would be a fantastic addition to the overall project, and a good opportunity for us to collaborate.
Then, he kindly asked if I wanted to keep the sculpture I borrowed from him a few months ago as exchange of services for the making of this film.
This is interesting because to me, Money is an exchange of VALUE. In fact, Art to me is the most valuable form of currency. I was very happy with his offer and accepted right away.
We started filming back in March 1st in several locations such as:
The Armory Show
Art Galleries in Chelsea
Pablo Caviedes Studio
Time Square
The Museum of Modern Art (We came exclusively to shoot Pablo's favorite painting by Picasso)
We completed this project in April 22 (Earth Day) and we are very happy with the results.
One piece of advice I'd like to give to all my fellow creatives is that you should always cultivate friendships in the Art World. Be curious and propose exciting projects that challenge you and your friends to make your best work.
I'm sure by now, you are wondering who the man on my left side is. He is my good friend Ed Vasquez a very talented painter from the Dominican Republic.
