-PHOTO BY NEIL HAMATY
'Mico Training College', as titled by Bracher.
Michael Robinson, Freelance Writer
CARLOS BRACHER has a love of life that is undeniable. Whether he's painting, discussing philosophy or joking around (which happens a lot), it's clear that this Brazilian enjoys every moment of life.
Invited to Jamaica by the Brazilian Embassy, the internationally renowned painter jumped at the chance to have an exhibition in the island. Simply titled 'Landscapes of Jamaica', the show will exclusively feature paintings done since Bracher's arrival.
Carlos said that Bob Marley was a major factor in his decision to come. He was drawn by a desire to know more about the origins of this singer whose music and philosophy had come to mean a lot to him over the years. Bracher wanted to find out about the context which Marley had come from the people and the land itself. He was not disappointed.
"Bob Marley truly expressed Jamaica in his music," said Bracher. His experiences since his arrival have shown him that Jamaicans are a 'peace-and-love' people with a deeply rooted spirituality. In short, he loves the place and he's happy he made the trip.
PHOTOGRAPHS AS REFERENCE
Hurricane Wilma started right after Bracher arrived with his wife, Fani, and curator, Sergio Pereira Silva. As a result, photographs had to serve as reference for his paintings of such places as Port Antonio, Mico Teachers College and the Bob Marley Museum. Composed in shades of red, green and gold among others, the piece holds a special place in Bracher's big heart. "This is my favourite," he opined.
Bracher has been painting since the 1960s and has exhibited in South America, the United States, Europe, Japan and China. His work is even featured in the Vatican Museum. As a matter of fact, his next stop will be a retrospective exhibit in Uruguay. 'Landscapes of Jamaica' will be unique, however, in that all the paintings will be created here and they will all be done with the same brush.
A relentless explorer, artistically as well as conceptually, Bracher's conversations always seem to tend toward the philosophical, despite his wife's seeming disapproval. But Carlos is unthwartable, telling her that it's okay. He believes that philosophy, along with his joie de vivre, informs the work and gives it substance. "The joy transforms everything," he said through his interpreter and aide-de-camp, Lidia Amaral, "even the painting."
WEAR AND TEAR
And it is evidenced in the work. The lone brush that is being used to create the paintings here shows the wear and tear. Although restricting himself to a single two-inch brush, Bracher has pushed the tool to its very limits and maybe beyond. It looks like it's been through hell, but the variation in application is extensive, from thick impasto to a post-impressionistic flat wash. At times, the paint tubes themselves are used to apply the paint.
"Life is for living," he said, and that's not just an Ernie Smith song, he truly lives it.
