“A talk with the artists” is an article inspired by an interview at Radio Paradigma. Together with the contemporary artist Rafa Bilcor, from Santa Cruz, we talked about the upcoming cultural and artistic events. Especially, we mentioned also some interesting themes related to creativity and the artist’s role today.
If you like this article, I invite you to share it with your people, it can be a good starting point for a debate and a reflection.
The backstage: intro to the artists’ life of Rafa Bilcor and Sofy Syamhope
Bilcor and I have two very different lives which find in art a common point.
In fact, a part of art, Bilcor works in the construction, too. I find it important to mention because prejudices -towards others and ourselves- often make us think that certain jobs exclude art. Doesn’t sound familiar to you: “I’m a person of science, I don’t have anything to do with art nor with literature”?
Unlikely, creativity permits us to benefit from diverse skills and develop our own artistic language.
Paradigma Radio: “And that inspiration, where does it come from?”
Bilcor: “That inspiration comes from getting bored in the construction. In the end, I’m recycling material from there and since I have my own tools, I can work with them easily and freely. Well, I painted on tiles, I used them in the construction; now, I’m working with timber, I have specific pallets with some huge pieces: instead of throwing them, I directly recycle them. I think it’s a material too way good t throw it.”
Here, it comes up one of the common points in art: recycling, giving a new life, a second chance to materials instead of wasting them. Indeed, our last collaboration “Drog-Arte” (“Drug-Art”) is an example of how we make good use of recycled materials to make art.
“Drog-Arte”
A two-masterpiece Collection, mixed technique, Bilcor & Syamhope
Its name jokes with the Spanish word “Drug yourself”, containing both “drug” and “art” words.
Our passion can free us from a ruining path, among judgments, wasted talent, and fake solutions.
If we develop our talent, we can transcend that reality and peacefully live with ourselves and others.
Needs, travels, and creative freedom
Those who already know me are familiar with my definition of “traveling creative”. The reason is that I’m dedicated to art and I love traveling. This latter is something that I also bring to my art through diverse style and technique experimentation
Radio Paradigma: What are you giving a second chance to?
Syamhope: Well… For instance, I ended 2022 and started the New Year with a travel to Marocco. This travel ended in some way when I came back, here to Spain. Once back, I’ve kept working on it by adding pics from the travel, too. Now, in December I’m going to make it alive again through an art exhibition.
«BECOMING» Art exhibition of traveling illustration and photography.
República de Las Letras, Cordoba, Spain
December 2023 – January 2024
Radio Paradigma: About traveling, does it inspire you?
Syamhope: A lot, really a lot. Because traveling, better generally the attitude when traveling, as lifestyle, the attitude to be open to listening, get to now new people, diverse stuff, leave our comfort zone… All of this inspires me. For instance, even the fact of changing techniques or supports, trying to mix materials or recycling, I consider them all a sort of traveling, but inside of art. Generally, traveling has always given me a chance to grow.
Radio Paradigma: How did it born the need for traveling to discover other cultures, other people?
Syamhope: Maybe it originates from the need for knowing, and knowing more; also, being curious to create a connection with the other.
When speaking of creating, inspiration is always from listening to ourselves. If by my side this comes from traveling, Bilcor talks about a dialogue with the artwork, instead. Where creating comes from letting the art talk and ask.
When there’s the need to create communities is because a solution is necessary, No?
Sofia Syamhope: Also… But I think it should be the base among artists: to know each others but also to support one another. Due to the fact that art is often something very personal, it starts to be delicate to expose it and expose oneself; therefore if we don’t support each other or we don’t want to share it, consequently it will be hard to share it also with the public.
During the live program, we also talked about the artist’s need – and truly everyone’s need- for expressing what they’re feeling, even despite fear. For sure, here we’re speaking of something even more primary: a part of exhibiting art, and feeling more or less creative, we’re speaking of the shared need for expression and emotional freedom.
So, here comes a new question. Let’s have a look together:
Once you make it, and you exhibit it, does art still belong to you, or is it already of people?
Syamhope: What a question… Well, for example, the art exhibition I’m making in December is about a traveling sketchbook; and to me, this latter is the only thing I wish they never steal from me because it’s impossible to repeat it. To me, it’s very important and it scares me a lot to expose it, but at the same time, I’m too excited about sharing it. I don’t think it’s going to belong to people or me, but shared: if exhibited publicly, it doesn’t mean it isn’t mine anymore. Instead, it keeps developing and evolving. The reason is that another person could see or feel something different; it can build a dialogue around that artwork and, in this sense, it evolves.
Radio Paradigma: Do you share it?
Bilcor: Completely, also it is how you said about fear and what she said that people don’t exhibit due to fear. I’ve started to paint in 2013-14 and until 1 year and a half ago, nobody had seen a painting of mine in Cordova. I mean, I painted an incredible number of artworks under another sign that wasn’t «Bilcor» – and I swear you, when I say an incredible number, I’m talking about around 200 paintings. But, until I wasn’t 100% sure to defend my art openly, I never wanted to exhibit it.
[…]
It was due to uncertainty. Nowadays, those paintings I wasn’t sure about, I bring them all over around as much as I can. I’m super proud of them because they created the artistic character I am today.
Radio Paradigma: Then… That’s not… You?
Bilcor: Yes, yes, that’s me, what happens it’s that I’m a mutation, what remained of then, I’m the rest of what I was.
[…]
Radio Paradigma: And about you, is it a character or… is it you?
Syamhope: In some way I feel a character generally, meaning that compared to being normal, let’s talk about it, what does it mean normal?
“A Talk with the Artists” reaches its end in this way: with this reflection and many cultural and art events coming soon.
Thanks to Paradigma Radio and Rafa Bilcor for this amazing experience!
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