...the Eye of the Beholder

What I know about art, and by art I mean painting, would fit on the tip of an artist's brush. A very tiny artist's brush. Maribel and I occasionally watch the Antique Roadshow on PBS. We enjoy guessing at the prices that will be placed on some of the objects people bring to be appraised. When a painting is being evaluated we're usually not even close. In the upper echelon of the art world the artist accounts for a good percentage of a painting's worth. For us lessor beings I would guess that some combination of color, composition and content are what determines whether we like a painting or not. And that combination is different for each of us. A painting is neither good nor bad; beautiful or ugly. The painting simply is...the individual judges it based on personal taste.  

When we're strolling through an antique shop or art gallery probably 95% of the paintings don't appeal to me. They're attractive but nothing I need to own. Occasionally there are some that 'talk' to me, but not loud enough to make me reach for my wallet. And then there are those rare times when a painting will 'scream' at me...challenge me to walk out without carrying it under my arm. When that happens I continuing browsing but invariably return and end up with the painting at the check-out counter.

In 2013 Maribel and I were at Chiclayo's Cultural Center to view an art exhibition of paintings done by local artists. Upon entering one of the exhibition rooms there was a painting mounted high on the wall in a corner that immediately caught my attention. I cannot adequately explain why the painting appealed to me so strongly, and still does to this day.

The Information card gave the artist's name as Ruben Saavedra. The curator of the Cultural Center was able to give us Ruben's phone number. We called him and he agreed to meet us at a restaurant to discuss the painting. Ruben at that time was in his very early 20s, was personable and seemed to me to be exceptionally mature and intelligent. We talked about his inspiration for the painting and were surprised to learn that the female model was his mother. When we had finished eating I told Ruben I was interested in the painting and wanted to purchase it. He agreed to sell it, we settled on a price and the deal was done. As we were leaving the restaurant Ruben shook my hand and laughed, saying, "I can't believe that I just sold my mother." The next day he delivered the painting to our Chiclayo apartment.

It was about two years later that we contacted Ruben again. I was in the process of writing a memoir titled Chicken Sunday Afternoon and wanted a picture for the cover page but couldn't find what I wanted. I had a concept in my mind and met with Ruben to see if I could explain it to him, and if he understood my idea could he paint it. Ruben did some preliminary sketches and invited us to his house to look at them. It was at that time that we met Ruben's mother, Señora Juana Cobeñas, and the four of us took turns voicing suggestions about what the final painting should look like. It would take too long to explain in detail what the painting was supposed to represent and how it got its name. It is sufficient to say that the concept is that 10 year old Tom is sitting on the curb in front of his house on a Sunday afternoon, not thinking at all of the future beyond tomorrow, and 80 year old Tom is looking at the boy, knowing and reflecting on what the coming years have in store for him. A few days later in Ruben's studio in Tumán, Peru, the painting titled Chicken Sunday Afternoon came into being.

That painting joined Señora Juana Cobeñas in our living room, and did become the photo on the cover page of my memoir.

When we returned to the US in July of 2017 there was no thought of taking the paintings with us, and on subsequent trips there wasn't the room to take them. On her recent visit Maribel removed the canvas paintings from the frames, carefully rolled them and placed them in a suitcase. They arrived in Georgia perfectly intact. I used some 1"x2" furring strips to make new stretching frames and chose standard staples to attach the paintings to the frames. Now both Señora Juana Cobeñas and Chicken Sunday Afternoon are once again on display.  And while we like the paintings, it is really the paintings, the people, the circumstances, the times and the resultant memories that combine to give us so much enjoyment. 

We are still in touch with Ruben. He is a prolific artist, displaying his work nationally and internationally, and I presume is doing well for himself. His Facebook page shows that he has broadened his style and choice of subject matter. 

This is a fairly recent photo of Ruben and his family. His mother is easily recognized as Señora Juana Cobeñas in our painting. Sadly, Ruben's father Adrián died this last April 12th. Our sympathies go out to the family, as well as our wish for Ruben's continued success in the art world.