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Antonio Guerrero’s work attracts people

By Estrella Eguino

Antonio Guerrero’s work attracts people. He makes personal appearances and visits all the galleries –much to the delight of his admirers. At these exhibitions Antonio’s hospitality, his friendly disposition and his humor are infectious and inviting. It isn’t far-fetched to imagine after a few minutes of conversation with the artist to be engrossed in topics as ethereal as his work is claimed to be.

There’s a curious connection between a person’s name and their personality. It can be more or less described as a match or mismatch of the name of a person, with their profession, talent, or some other obvious connotation. “Warrior” is the English translation of his last name, obviously of close Spanish descent. Some who study the significance of names consider this trait to carry a bit of a special half unit sort to speak; a power or energy that just like the rest of us, also seeks universal outlet. In the case of Antonio Guerrero, his identity becomes as much an intricate part of the revelation contained in his work, as the symbolism itself. It is the kind of work to be stared at, and guess what? That’s exactly what this warrior wants you to do. Come on in.
 
His art has been hailed as having  «Dali-esque» undertones. Other names like Hieronymus Bosch, and Picasso have also been tossed about with absurd disregard to style and expression. Yeah, he’s heard it all by now but the truth is Antonio never even knew of these names until he came to the United States, and by that time he had already been painting for many years in Cuba. He doesn’t consider his work anything like that of these men and rightfully so because it isn’t. It is, like the work of true artists, a personal form of expression filled with symbolism and themes that resonate with an inner conscience. It is perhaps in this mission that he is an equal to the surrealist masters. The vibrant color red, the subtlety of glimmering gold backgrounds, or the black birds that sometimes speckle his creations are some of the personal glimpses into the subliminal conversations with a deeper state of being. The perspectives may be mystical to some, others may recall humor, but the result will be riveting.
 
Antonio grew up in Matanzas, a province of Cuba, according to the artist Matanzas is known among many other things, for being the home of a type of black birds that flap their wings noisily to warn of the approach of people or other animals. Antonio confesses a deep connection with, and reverence for nature, the kind that is developed by long periods of constant admiration. Due to the isolation from the trends of the outside world, his formative years were for the most part spent outdoors, in open fields, and in communion with nature.
 

There is a particular type of oneness that unites those who assimilate the platform of what is called reality. Its visualization takes many forms and Antonio Guerrero’s perspective offers limitless variations of concepts drawn from revelations arrived after an inexhaustible search for the human quest of self-identity. A look at some of Antonio’s pieces, from the modern iconic image of «Jose Marti, El Gran Poeta» –Cuba’s greatest hero– to «I Universe» from I Live in a Red Planet, will prove there is no escaping the inexplicable pull inspired by his work.

Red is the artist’s favorite color and he shows it from the trademark assortment of kerchiefs he often wears around his neck or coat pocket, to the background of many of his paintings, even his website www.antonioguerrero.art boasts the emblematic relation of war and red. An often over-heard comment at his showings is that he’s a passionate visionary. Imagine that!
 
All lovers of fine art should be exposed to Antonio Guerrero’s work. There is plenty to satisfy the minds that demand the thrill in discovering interlocking dreams, and for those that enjoy journeys of art expression, or those who simply find beauty in color and balance. Be certain of one thing, this artist is an ever-evolving revelation. His pictorial tales may haunt, pacify, upset, or simply pass one by, but the flowing source of creativity lurking in the deep recesses of the imagination of a good artist moves on. Stay with it. Discover the world of Antonio Guerrero –the possibilities are endless.