No body's land airlines

Perú has thousand of years of painting history, starting with the Mochicas and Chimus and their great colored murals, the Nazcas with their painted pottery. Later, in the 15 Century when the Europeans arrived to Perú, the clash between two cultures generated a new form to express and communicate through oil painting, Catholic icons and European techniques mixed with the native vision, marked the beginning of the tradition of oil painting in my country that has been the biggest influence in my work. In the 19th century some Peruvian artists like Teofilo Castillo traveled to Europe, bringing new techniques and formed art schools. In the early 20th century Peruvian painters like Jose Sabogal traveled around the Andes and re-discovered new colors and themes to paint, pioneering of an intellectual/artistic movement "El Indigenismo" that was avant-garde in Latin America. In the second half of the 20 Century Perú had a great number of artists producing artwork that was of the same level and quality of the art produced in America and Europe. It is important to mention that the political events occurring in Perú strongly influenced the arts, social content in the pieces are a unique characteristic. The trajectory of art in Perú is of great relevance to my work. Throughout my taring and development as an artist in Perú this was the only art that was accessible. In my country there is not big Museums with Van Gogh or De Kooning artworks. We were only able to see old and modern artists in books, for that reason the biggest influence for me during my development as an artists was Peruvian Art. Later when I came to New York, I had real visual contact with masters as study reference. Today Peruvian traditions of integrating social content into art and the themes of access to art remain with me. Presently my biggest influences are the people of New York, the workers, the immigrants, the diverse New Yorkers who make this city the best place in America. New York is a city with years of history of immigration and an old tradition of political activism. To me, real art is always political, with a mission to spread the word, and art should be accessible to all. I am inspired more by a group of protesters or the struggles of a worker any where in the world than by the work if particular contemporary artist confined to the walls of a gallery.