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Art comes of Age in Caboby Chris MacClure - www.goldencactusgallery.com, www.chrismacclure.comTimes without number, we've been asked in our gallery, "what brought you to Cabo, what keeps you here and do you like living here?" If we lived in New York, or Los Angeles or San Francisco or anywhere else for that matter, no one would think to ask such questions. What is it about Cabo that elicits such questions from people from all over the world? Maybe they're trying to figure out why they themselves are so attracted to life here, trying to find out if they could live here as well. Of course it takes more than mild curiosity to uproot and move to a new country. Artists are by nature curious and generally quite fearless. True artists are not afraid to expose hemselves via their work to the public and if necessary starve to fulfill themselves in their work. Most of the artists I know lived many years of their artistic life in what most people would term poverty conditions, especially the early years of studying, practicing and perfecting their craft. Many talented people don't pursue this life for those very reasons; fear not only of failure, but fear of the insecurity that comes with a life devoted to art alone. Art is not only a passion, it is a calling for the truly dedicated not unlike other professions such as medicine or writing or music. If you go into the homes of friends and relatives, how many of these collect art for pleasure and passion? How much of what is hanging on the walls is purely for decoration and you will understand the devotion necessary for an artist to make an adequate living and find markets for their work. People usually buy "something" for their walls, but so many North Americans never think in terms of art but in terms of decoration. As people travel more, however and are exposed to the arts in other countries, we're seeing a revival in art buying not only as a pleasurable pastime but as an ideal souvenir to take home from a vacation. One of the attractions for artists here is the influx of new potential buyers every week. When we first came to Cabo early in the 90's the tourist industry was just taking off. Kaki Bassi had the only gallery in San Lucas and Charles Stewart was trying to lure tourists to Todo Santos. Of course, at that time, Cabo San Lucas wasn't known for its fine art. Sport fishing, sun and fun were the biggest draw and it's still mostly that way, however, art is making headway. Many homeowners can recall the difficulty in getting anything here in those early years. Finding needful things became like a scavenger hunt, you kept your list with you and snapped up items as your time here went along. If you were here 2 weeks, you might have half your list done, the rest would have to wait until you came down again and you either brought things with you or you started all over again. Homeowners also relied on the professional decorators to bring everything over from Guadalajara, but now that Cabo has been discovered, you can find pretty much anything you need here, including good art. Another question frequently asked is "are these local artists?" One thing to bear in mind in Cabo is that since this is a relatively new destination but the fastest growing tourist area in Mexico, most of the artists here are from other places. Until recently Cabo was a sleepy fishing village of a few hundred souls and an almost inaccessible highway all the way down the Baja. The airport was only open during daylight hours and could only accommodate a couple of flights a day. Many Los Cabos artists have lived here many years however and love the atmosphere and the easy "no bad days" life that is offered but others, like some in our own gallery, come here many times during the tourist season. In any case, it's what is expressed about the Baja area that is important, not where the artist is "from". Artists are rather an itinerant lot and feel at home anywhere that is conducive to doing their work. Cabo has a special feeling that inspires them to their best and challenges as well. The light here is unlike that anywhere. Cabo is coming of age. Don't go home without checking out the numerous galleries here in San Lucas, San Jose or Todo Santos. The perspective you get from art is truer to the heart and more lasting than any other impression you can take home. Articles by Chris MacClure: |
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