By Daniel Ortega Beltrán
Acrylic on Canvas
29in by 20.5in
"For my friend (El Duende)
A friend and troubadour from my hometown. Companions of nocturnal adventures filled with rum and unpublished songs. Loaded with dreams, we shared projects we never managed to realize together. For the artistic scene of my city, we were the small crooked trees, to put it kindly. They recognized a bit of talent in us, but poorly used, in their way of seeing it. At least that’s how I felt…
So we grew, creating, maturing, and a bit rejected… Then we drifted apart… and each of us went our own way.
From Argentina, and with a different outlook, I illustrated one of his songs in a painting.
My dear friend (poet with a guitar) says what he thinks, no matter if once again spiritual culture slams the door in his face.
My friend writes and sings what bleeds through his veins… We know there are many who agree, but prefer to stay silent out of fear of rejection.
When you think differently, do you have talent or not… You are the black sheep of the flock. The strange and different one, but special.
I hope that one day the cultural leadership of our towns embraces its creative children, with their virtues and their flaws… all equally.
And of course, that they show us as we truly are. Without brainwashing, and without tying our wings when we create."
