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When I was a young child, I worked as a carpenter's apprentice. The man I worked for taught me to smell each wood and to appreciate the grain of each type. I always liked to paint, and the idea to become an artist crystallized when a high school teacher suggested that I should study art at the University of Uruguay in Montevideo. The professors wanted to do traditional art, but I never felt comfortable with the styles they taught. Early on, I began to work with the wood. At first I used a nail and carved on wood that I found in garbage dumps. Since Uruguay is an underdeveloped country I had little access to good materials. Furthermore, I never had the financial ability to purchase supplies. Consequently, I always used whatever I good find. I can remember printing on the wrapping paper that was used to package baked goods. It wasn't until years later that I could use real Japanese rice paper to for my prints.

My art is both a reaction to my world and a reflection of my personality. As a young man in Uruguay I was caught up in the political reality of a nation dependent on the United States for its economic well-being. A few families controlled the major export of agricultural products, principally beef and wool. During the late 1950's and early 1960's my country was going through a severe economic crisis. A corrupt and inefficient government was unable and unwilling to bring about structural reforms and as a result my generation began to organize politically to force a change in the system. Art was my vehicle for expressing my dissatisfaction with my country's decay. I frequently illustrated poems that vividly questioned society's mores and urged people to make political commitments to change. My work forced people to take notice that all was not well. For example, I would paint a still life that would on the surface seem to be soothing to one's vision. But then, I would paint in letters around the still life that would read "were is freedom". I painted faces streaming with tears, faces screaming out for help, couples embraced out of fear and despair. These themes of anguish were mixed with other humorous episodes of fat ladies on the beach, fishes munching on flowers, a mother nursing her child. This mixture of whimsy, humor, and despair has continued to flourish in my art.

Years later and miles away from my native country, I have started to work with wood and linoleum. Once again I am illustrating poems, especially those of Pablo Neruda of Chile and Idea Vilariña, Liber Falco, Mario Benedetti of Uruguay. Now my art reflect my uprootedness. People are now found flying my my pictures. The contrast of my life today and my past is reflected in my art. One of my recent woodcuts "The Poet Visits his small town" shows the poet going back to his rural village. Another wooduct "Long-awaited reunion" was done while I was waiting to see my daughter for the first time in 6 years. This woodcut, perhaps the most personal one I have done in recent years, reflects the story of my past and my country's history. 

My experience outside of Uruguay have tended to intensify my Uruguayan identity. My prints have become more dream-like with moon talking to a bird, a woman drawn in the shape of guitar, mythical figures caught in their traps, demons with animal-like faces. My Latin American heritage is coming to the fore as I continue to perfect my craftsmanship and techniques for working with the wood. Each piece of wood gives me something unique for the print. I use the grain and texture to accentuate the overall design. Working with wood permits me total control from start to finish. It is the medium I have chosen to help me express my feelings about life and my hope that tomorrow will bring a brighter future for my country and the Latin American continent.