FRANCISCO LACERDA
Abstract Realism Geometric
Francisco Lacerda was born in 10 November 1988, in Lisbon, at Alameda. He started to paint in 2005, when he was young.
He creates Art that reflects the relationship between color, science, nature and art.
Landscapes, photographs (and/or works by other artists), psychoanalysis, neuroscience, as well as personal thoughts, dilemmas, dreams and memories inspire his Art.
Francisco Lacerda has studied in the business (ISG), arts (SNBA and SIA) and gemology (GIA).
He is also an art curator mostly for artist group shows represented by the brand of USIA and also an Art Critic/Director for USIA REVIEW magazine. Both USIA and USIAREVIEW brands are own by Francisco Lacerda.
thinking about Art...
WHAT IS ART?
"During all these centuries of human life, Art was always been a constant flow and free brain development of something unique. Art has origins in the creativity mind due to our natural human nature. With natural mistakes and continuing learning of course. This means that the artist is the one that has creativity. The person that from a starting point creates something new. Something that is made from his own personal thoughts, feelings and enjoyment."
WHO I FOLLOW?
"Monet, Arcimboldo, Miguel Angelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Maluda, Pedro Calapez, Picasso, Amadeu Souza Cardoso, Mondrian, Kandinsky, Braque, Cézanne, Guido Reni, Carriaci, Rafael Sanzio, Klimt, Vermeer, Balthus, Burn Jones, Magritte, Jefflee Johnson, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Nataliall, Etel Adnan, Brett Weston, Helen Levitt, John Coplans, Helen Pashgian, Francesca Woodman, Peder Balke,Turner, Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus, Carol Bove, John Currin, Caillebotte, Hopper, Rothko, Duane Michals, Formanger, Alaian Jacquer, Polke, Lucas Cranach, Andrei Molodkin, Jpsef Albers, Yves Klein, Lyonel Feininger, Adolph Gottlieb, Nadir Afonso..."
ART AND SOCIETY
"Labelling was probably the worst thing that society has created in all this last centuries of wars, famine and greedy. The lack of self-esteem and growing hate is a result of that. That's why many societies like to segregate, divide and control in order to someone achieves its own selfish goal. That's why follow philosophy, music, history, fashion, science or literature because it makes me think about not only my life but the Art of past, the present (now) and the future.
I always follow my own instinct. I listen, read, wait and think, human curiosity always! I think with free open mind, looking for the light and colors that surround me. I always ask questions and search for the best answers. I always doubt and research. I try not to judge anything or anyone. But i define in my life the line between what it is good and less good, for me first and then others.
I find myself today in a ranking society described by Carlo Strenger in his book The Fear of Insignificance. This book explains the hidden fear that children, teenagers and adults live today. There is a constant fear of being rejected, different, poor and lonely. And all of these is like a virus. For example, our society lives in a fear of being controlled by the technology , agencies... that they need for their security and jobs. This is the world he live now."
MACHINES
Can machines replace artists? Yes and no. Machines will mostly replace artisans. Machines will replace anything that can be produced in series. Some machines may produce artworks based on the appropriation of man made artworks, which is actually what most artists do today.
Some machines will be part of the process of creating artworks. Most of the photography, digital works and sculptures today, have a huge help of the computers, softwares and machines. We already have lived in a world where machines are part of the process of creating an artwork.
AI art is created by someone that created a software and an algorithm. AI art it is not totally a computer artwork made. The question is: Will we understand? I don’t think so. We are not prepared, and probably never will, to understand any kind of AI art. We must acknowledge that contemporary art it is not only art to be seen, but also to understand. I don’t think even a software programmer will understand the result of a AI art.
At the end of day, Art will be made by artists. Art will be made by intelligence for intelligence. AI art will create art for AI robots or machines. We wont understand any AI art of the future if Humans don’t became more intelligent they are today. Will be a necessity to implant chips in human brains or change our DNA for ultra smart people.
How art will be displayed? Digitally. The concept of Museum will change dramatically in the next centuries. Zero to infinity, all sources of culture will be in one place. Most of them not accessibly to anyone physically only digitally. Humans can destroy heritage, and that is a problem.
TRANSITORY ART
"The shift of world power in this century is now more obvious. USA and Russia no longer the lead the world. The world today it is much more different and fragmented. Art movements are always connected to disruptions in history of human life. Artists usually create art to project the past, present and future of the world they see in their minds.
Transitory Art it is the art that has no fixed time in human life, but represents a transition to the new world order we are heading to. On opposite direction of Dada, artists follow more the science, nature, human rights... instead political idea behind. Politics follow society, while society no longer follow politics.
The technological and science progress today, worries many artists. The risk of a world and space war is real, but the of small wars around the world are a bigger problem. Mass migration is making human life disposable again. There is a growing concern about the replacement of humans by machines. Violation of the right to choose sexuality and gender. The anti-war sentiment is obvious. These concerns were already questioned by Dada and Constructivist Artists.
A good Artist it is the one that creates a secret message trough art. Artists are whistleblowers of the unpredictable.
The Weapon race would always be a danger. Global warming is everywhere. Living the moment or the present it is important than ever. Acting now became indispensable. Paris' agreement is the beginning of energy shift from fossil to more clean energy. This shift will create a massive transfer of wealth between countries.
Transitory Art it is the Art without a specific time. But represents the transition for a new world order."
SHOW OFF ARTISTS
"Show off artists , or round about artists, are those who like to display large artworks just for people see from a considerable distance. There is nothing wrong with those artworks or artists, altought we all know that the most famous and expensive works in the world are considerable small.
Good art it is more intelectual. Something that makes people think, feel and change their minds. If it is something just to look well it is no longer art but other thing, decoration maybe... It is like when we see a baby in a photo, and we say "so cute"... most babys look the same..."
PORTUGUESE ARTISTS IN CONTEMPORARY ART
I would like to express the fact that most portuguese artistas are not focused on Portuguese culture. With globalization artists do not need to focus on the Portuguese local culture, when such culture exists. Being said, many of the contemporary artists are mentally globalized, focused on european and western culture. There is also a huge cultural appropriation in Portugal. Art historians that try to write about portuguese contemporary artists, define the as portuguese contemporary art. This is ridiculous in 3 ways: one it is because many of those artists are not even portuguese born; secondly many of those artists born in Portugal but studied and lived abroad; secondly and most important, is that Portugal never have any role in art world. Opening a world art history book, we don’t see a single Portuguese artist since the caves in Altamira.
Lets start then with Paula Rego, a modernist and contemporary painter, with a huge influence of british art and culture. I can not define her work as portuguese art because she lived most of her time abroad, and as a teacher in Slade School of Fine Art. Her style is totally influenced by Lucian Freud. Many of her works are not about Portugal at all. She decided to paint about Portuguese crimes and stories but that it is not enaught to define her as Portuguese artist or Portuguese art. Even in the art market her work it is defined as very cheap.
Another mistake that most people does, as well, many art historians and curators, it is to promote Joana Vasconcelos as a Portuguese artist. This is again, a manipulation as well, some how a lack of knowledge about Joana Vasconcelos art and life. Joana Vasconcelos was born in France. Her artwork it is like a bazar. Everything at once: Design, Fashion, Tapestry... She is also does appropriation art, which means that most of her works are not made by her and not her own ideas. Basically she thinks she can do everything and people will buy it! An art historian or critic that labels Joana Vasconcelos as Portuguese contemporary art, it is not a partial and it suffers from a big minority of inferiority. Joana Vasconcelos it is part of the art market, the business world. her work has no museum art quality, but only monetary quality. Art it is more than materials and extravagant pieces of art. I also consider her having a swing and hypocrite message in art. Artists must express in a clearly way without massaging the ego of patrons.
ART, EDUCATION AND ASSETS
"This virus or fear that creates hate, discrimination, greedy, mass consumption and absence of self-esteem in life it has been spreading in our society for decades or maybe centuries, but in other forms. Ranking Art or Artists for example it has been so unfair and manipulated by financial markets and institutions. Most the art spectators in a museum, gallery or online in recent decades value the art based on the information number of views, popularity, without any knowledge of the other artworks and artists that are dead or alive. There is a huge bias against many artists.
I think the learning system that starts when we have 3 years old is the ground of all this problem. The learning process it is not effective yet, most times it is incomplete and in most cases is also full of unskilled instructors. The Art schools and universities around the world are mainly focused in the process of making degrees and not artists. It is not fair for all Artists to label Artist only someone that has a degree in Art. Defining an Artist just because he owns a degree in Art it is historically wrong and sad. That's why many artists seek for grants or state subsidies all the time. The fault rely in the learning system that leads to unfair systems.
The Art system it is incomplete, should be more diverse, more open minded. I believe that we all need to diverse our knowledge.
Talent in Art is a mix of work, authenticity and creativity. Most people do not own all of these three. Besides that, learning something in Art or any other field, it is (as was in most societies) based on repression, as well superiority between old and young generations, test results, gender, skin colour... "
ART AND REJECTION
"Even today in Portugal happens every year the so called traditional "praxe", a student gathering based on humiliation and violence between old and young students. This is a small example of how society is focused in religious traditions based on superiority, fear that makes no sense in the eyes of today human rights and developing nations that want to make example of how the world should be. Segregation trought race, beauty, age, sexual orientation, rankings, ratings and despotism starts in our education system and contaminates society. Competition it leads to a war. Cooperation to peace. It is like putting the eggs that someone will take one day. Art has a important role on this. We has artists must show to future and present generations the dangerous times we still live in.
The outcome of someone that just went to study in university just based on income, prestige or absence of goal, for example it is the escape in reading novel books, improve body culture, apropriate tv entertainment, take consumption of goods, services...or even light drugs like tabacco, sugar, fat, alcohol, or maybe heavy drugs, due to the miserable life that people have outside and inside their homes. In all world we assist every day to domestic violence, coercion at work, hate speech, insults, bad education and disrespect."
GLOBALIZATION
"Financial times made the world overpopulated in countries of third world. Humans are trying to find desperately other planets or places to deploy, feed all this people. I would dare to define the period we live today has individualist times. As people are more free to choose what they want, some may not be able to choose anything. But some will be able to diversify their own taste and thoughts and choose anything they want. This is historical and new, but reminds me the Middle Age.
Globalization it is for me an antithesis that made possible free movement of people, free choices, free thinking, but also the reverse. As the world evolves, I also find that more knowledge and scientific discoveries does not necessarily means the result of more smart decisions and choices made by humans. I defend the progress in safe hands! But before all of that well bettered health and life quality conditions. If the future is now more unpredictable Art will have an even important role finding ways to criticize, alert, innovate human minds in all typs of media. I am sure that we are heading to a new Art world where the humans will have less and less importance, where nature and science will be essential for their work and AI will be described has the survival for human race. I try to live the present, not worry about the past of future, because that makes me stressful and anxious.
Making futurism won't help. But I know that one day humans will have to cooperate togheter, or they will not survive until the next century."
LEFT OR RIGHT? MIDDLE!
"One thing i noticed is that me left eyes doesn't have all the spectrum of colors that i have in right eye. This makes me see differently in both eyes. For me the vision is so important that i think many times about color blindness and blindness.
I am in the Portuguese socialist party since 2007. I see myself as a socialist artist, not capitalist or communist. I believe in socialism and in green ideas. I believe in environmental ideas. I believe in social justice. Welfare state. I believe in free trade and regulated world. I don't like war. I like borders, not but walls. I do not like Anarchy at all, actually i reject that. For me Anarchy is chaos. For me the state is the basis of any country and society in the world. I do not like any type of Oligarchy, it is for me something that should never exist and it is not fair.
The hypocrisy today in art is more spread than ever before. I find myself in the ridiculous situation of meeting more and more people from green, blue, red or other parties, the so-called left and right wing society. But there is no practice based on theory ideas. Every year there is a new party with "new ideas".
Artists can be very selfish, engage in their own world. I would consider those blue or more right wing artists. These artists work more for church commissions, banking sector, etc... I am not Mentioning Da Vinci or Caravaggio, i am describing more recent artists. These artists with many success are extremely pretentious and don't care about society, environment at all...money and status probably is more important.
I actually think for my experience that older artists are much more open-minded and honest. Art field is very competitive oriented. Artists started to make huge pieces just to make sure everyone would see and remind them.
Some other artists have no personality (very common on students and emerging artists) where the feeling of belonging to a group of art, an idea, a utopia, dystopia or to something else is present in their minds. Probably 80% artists i know are like that! Which makes me think that we are in a path for the dead of Art.
A green artist or leftist artist would be a socialist and environmental fighter. Well, most of these artists do not really think about the environmental cost of having their pieces in a museum 365 days with air conditioner, lighting and security 24/7. How many of them smoke tobacco and drop to the floor their waist? Or eat only vegetables? Do they have any idea of the cost of air cargo? It so hilarious...
I believe the future in art is more green and sustainable oriented. I don't think Art made with waste is a good solution, just because it doesn't last long, but art that doesn't make waist for sure!"
INTERNAL MONOLOGUE
"I find myself constantly thinking and talking with my self. I believe that every artist find himself in a world that needs to be questioned and maybe criticized. I think that creative is created by the conclusion of many of our internal dialogues. Many people do not have this internal dialogues. I am not saying that artists are mentally hill. I am saying that artists are focused on thinking differently and into other directions. Like a Scientist, Writer or a Cinema director, their minds work into different directions, however the internal dialogue is crucial in most of their decisions."
MEMORY
Our memory is getting worst, day by day. As more random information we get, less we will know. The technology giants are doing the best they can to turn everything digital. Our dependence is getting like a drug addiction. Everyday we need technology to communicate. Once all digital people won’t be able to store their books, movies dvd’s, printed photos. And yes, good and bad memories. Our past shapes the future. History it is what makes us doing things better, and don’t make the same mistakes. Creating a better world. Our future generation, will born with less and less memory of the past. What they will learn will be temporary memory and won’t be in their brain for a long time. It would be very easy to erase culture once this becomes only a digital form for most people. I mean, online museums and digital exhibitions? Digital projections? Where the visual and touch experience goes if all becomes digital? Digital books? The fear of a war is growing. The war will be digital. Everything we consume will be easy to erase and be manipulated by virus, malware, etc...
Many artists and people now speak about NFT's. I wonder if they speak of money or they speak of the digital "inovation"...Everybody knows that digital art is something from last century...Designers are know for a long time. We see Walt Disney movies since decades ago.
The future schools need to change their way of teaching in their classes. The distraction by social media and other gadgets, makes them using a temporary memory instead of a long memory. This will cause enormous social problems in future. Manipulation will be more and more easy to do. I do not see any alternative but to regulate the way people will live in the future. And the reason is just because it is not making us smarter or better. We can not allow our children to grow without being next to nature, having real social dilemas, parents support, real friends, experiencing reading books, listening live opera or live classical concerts, watching plays at theater.
A perfect example it is the Paris syndrome. When the gap between virtual and reality is so big, it can cause dramatic and long negative memory effects in our mind. We can not imagine things from what we hear, but we shall taste and feel what surrounds us.
We are fueling bias. Each day. Deeply.
INTELECTUAL COLAPSE
The information absorved by our brain is so much everyday that we can not think in a long term. People can not plan their life in a long term. The new generations are totally dependent of the technological gadgets and advance. They can´t absorve the information they learn at the school, due to the massive gaming and app industry fueled by Facebook, Apple and Google. The school teachers are feeling useless every year. They find them selfs in the dilemma that they also became part. It is a global problem, specially in modern and technological countries. Do they know how to cook? Clean? Fix a car? not really....So they will just became the total alienation.
The rich parents will supply all robots and gadgets they need to live their life in a pleasure way without knowing the cost of living of the poor people. Segregation will be much higher. But a diferent segregation that we know. The wealth will be established by the quality of the AI people can use and buy. The violation of privacy and freedom rights will be so high that it will look like a dictatorship. People will be manipulated in so many different way that the danger of site specific spontaneous hate group events will take place. Security will be difficult to be made if those events tend to happen.
The big tech corporations should be nationalized or at least controlled by the state in some way. They are a treat to any kind of freedom market and democracy. They are now so big that they can by elections.
Art will be also controlled by technology. Selling virtual art is now a trend. How bad this can be? I don't think it can be so bad. We have always been working with computers. What is bad is the speculation Selling with cryptocurrency which is the gambling that will lead us to the next financial crisis...Time to empty peoples pocket with dollars and euros.
I can create virtual works of art, and be famous for that, but do really enjoy virtual art? not the one i know...
How they display? I see a lot of interactive exhibitions without original works. I don't think it is the right direction. How can people really know the quality pf a work of art without seeing it? Curators create stories about artists that they cant really prove. It is ridiculous. Money wins...Child stuff for adults...
AI AND ART
"Just as we like to see nature, it is up to us to protect it. Science is the only area of research that has been questioning the wrong decisions of human beings since the 20th century. We must study our relationship with nature and with others. Through color, we can understand ourselves and other human beings.”
We all see colors differently. We think differently. Our eyes have a unique way of defining colors, even if we think we can see the same colors as other people. For centuries, philosophers, artists, scientists, and writers, have tried to understand the connection between colors, light and space. And now, artificial intelligence is being programmed to perform the same investigation.
Why do we all love the sun, the blue sky, sunset or sunshine? Why do some people hate pink, and others love green or orange? Is it possible that the reason why we hate and love colors is connected to the way we see colors differently and the different ways we experience them? Is it possible to hate works of art only because of the colors and the negative experience we have? If yes, why?! If light changes the way we see colors, how does space also change our perceptions? We are now creating machines capable of seeing and understanding colors, space, art, life. How will artificial intelligence enter the world of art in the future?
What happens when we create art with machines? What happens when we create AI to make art? What happens when super intelligent machines, also capable curiosity, exploration, and investigation and learning, create art? How understandable will that are be for humans? Will it be considered art?"