When one changes from an anonymous condition to showing art, some basic adjustments must be made. There have to do with our behavior and the dedication with which one focuses and works for both present and future.

For me, the seriousness of one’s work is the result of constant dedication and the honesty that comes from the inner voice that longs to express itself. These are the primordial beacons that guide our way of expression.

After years of personal work which had never been shown, it was fairly traumatic and required much support to make the decision to go public and show work.

Having said all this, the first Project was to generate new work and submit the images to the curator’s scrutiny that eventually led to the “Visiones” showing of December 2003.

One must never sub estimate the importance and value of the curator, and never think one does not need his/her advice and guidance by just deciding unilaterally what to show. The curator knows and sees art in many ways, forms and presentations, knows where the frontiers are and where the tendencies lead, observes art from the perspective of fit and place including the relationship of the work in relationship to the cultural realm per se..

In the case of “VISIONES", Mrs. Jeannette Miller (well known and recognized art critic and curator of the Dominican Republic) noticed trends and qualities in the work shown to her that , to my surprise, quickly grouped by seeing beyond the assorted images and gave the work selected a unified concept for the show.

This first Project now seems not to have an end… actually I see everything else as a branch of the initial project.

I also have to admit that all the effort for this show was a joint effort along with Kemil Carbuccia, an excellent friend, photographer and travel companion. He was also in a state of “passive artist in hibernation” as was I, without the pretense of being “artists” but only of dedicated photographers.

Our project begun with the decision to go out and travel our country, expose ourselves to the many environments of our geography and freely work the themes we confronted, mostly to satisfy the individual interests.

Dunes of Bani, aerial view

We divided the Island in 5 geographical regions in an arbitrary way, mainly to cover travel routes and places to stay overnight.

The south, defined as the portion extended between Santo Domingo and Pedernales and as high as San José de Ocoa. The highway is excellent and it has been visited often. I particulary enjoy working the areas of Las Salinas y Dunes of Bani, Azua and the area of the Monte Rió beach, the Palmar de Ocoa, Barahona and the Laguna de Oviedo.

San Rafael beach

The east, the five provinces that comprise the easternmost part of the island, San Pedro de Macorís, La Romana, Higuey, Hato Mayor and El Seibo. Of this zone, of very easy travel due to the tourism infrastructure, we have visited San Pedro (Kemil’s home town) and have worked some of the pasturelands between Villa del Mar beach and San Pedro. I have enjoyed working in these flatlands so I plan to work them more extensively.

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San Pedro's church roof

The northeast, starting in San Francisco de Macorís and as a triangle with Nagua and Jamao del Norte. I have visited this area twice as part of this project, one under the most difficult circumstances due to the torrential rains it was being showered by. Three full days and nights of just plain heavy rainfall.

The north and Cibao valley following the route of the Duarte Highway all the way into Montecristi including the mountains of the Central Ridge Mountains to Sosua. We have visited and worked several times, mainly the Jarabacoa-Manabao-La Cienaga area.

The Samaná peninsula , easy to locate due to it's exclusive geographic condition. We have visited only once and nearly lost the trip to rain, even though on our way back nice photos were made of this zone.

The first trip of year 2004 was to the eastern plains and my frustrating trip to Jamao del Norte to Nagua, the next scheduled trip is to Montecristi to then travel the cosat to Puerto Plata.

Soon I will add some maps of the island and the refences to the places we visit.

Maybe an anecdotary, many interesting people and stories come out of these trips.