GROWING UP IN THE 80’s

At an opening many months ago I stood in front of one of Jc Braov’s paintings and knew that I would contact him.

Laughing on the inside – Painting by Jc Bravo

There was something about his painting of a clown that made me want to know more about him. I had my own version of a painted clown.

Close up of clown's face - painting by Jill Slaughter

Laughing on the inside – Painting by Slaughter

After a series of exchanged messages we confirmed a time for me to visit his studio. He answered the door with his young daughter sheepishly standing by his side. She was head to toe princess. Yellow poly-satin, she could have been Mulan, Bell, or Snow White, I don’t know, my princess days are long gone.

Some small talk between us, and then his daughter went back to watching her movie, and we went into his studio. I couldn’t hear myself think. The blaring sounds of princess life were drowning out our conversation. In my best I don’t hate children, I have three of my own voice I asked Jc if he could make the TV lower. He flew into the living room with superhero speed – the volume was lowered.

He was not hearing what I was hearing. He was immune, probably as I had been when my three girls were watching Disney over and over and over again. But Jc was not only able to ignore the sounds, he found a way to make them part of his life.

He is a lovely man, a caring father, and a gentle loving husband, all of which is evident in his work and his life. His Raw submission shows us his ability to use every situation to his benefit, which in turn benefits us all.

Jc Bravo in front of one of his paintings

The artist

As a child in Peru I was allowed to be free to wander its decadent streets like a roaming cat. In my daily outings I saw and experienced many significant and traumatizing events. I can recall the explosion of bombs and the scent of poverty ridden slums. In the early 80’s the terrorist group called shining path aimed to gain control over the Peruvian government. Their war was brutal, leaving innocent heads scattered on hill tops. The violence became almost normality, blackouts and sirens were ignored in a daily basis.

Painting by Jc Bravo of a superhero type of figure

Nowhere

I remember most of my time was spent playing soccer in concrete roads, flicking marbles on dusty sidewalks or playing in abandoned construction sites. Most of the kids in my neighborhood were preoccupied with fighting and pornography. Sometimes they would make me and other small kids fight for their amusement; the winner would be rewarded a glimpse of an erotic magazine. I became good at fighting and soon developed an interest in boxing; I got my first boxing shorts and gloves when I was 8 years old. As a result I became a fan of the Rocky movies. When rocky 3 came out I was excited and convinced my family to go see it. When we came home from the theater we were shocked to see our house was broken in to, they had used axes or machetes to break though the doors that were locked. Due to the constant threat of violence and escalating political crisis my family decided to leave the country. We settled in the Miami Beach, Florida (USA).

Painting of an almost nude woman with a child on her back

Look Closely

Growing up in the 80s in Miami Beach I was part of the Punk Rock and surf culture that was popular at the time. I loved going to the beach and spending hours glued to the television watching MTV. I was enthralled by the videos of heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica and Guns and Roses, Their influence inspired rebellion in my young mind and led me to explore the adult world through action and slasher films. I cherished all the films by Sylvester Stallone, Bruce lee, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I remember I used to watch their movies over and over again, replaying the most exciting scenes obsessively. Also, I was fascinated by horror movies such as the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th series. These films, with their depictions of gratuitous nudity and violence shaped the way I viewed the world.

portrait of an anguished child crying with bleeding mouth and broken tooth

This young boy

During my early teens I was mesmerized by the fantasy world of comics. I was a devoted follower and avid collector of Transformers, Thor, GI Joe, Spider man and Conan the Barbarian. The immense appeal of Conan comics was significant in my upbringing because it awakened in me an interest for drawing. The first drawings I created consisted of epic battles and muscular heroes inspired by my magazine and comic book collection. Through out the years drawing became the only constant in my life.

partially clad women alongside children painted by Jc Bravo

Captain

As I got older I began to focus my attention on sports. I wanted to be strong and muscular like my heroes. I tried weight training, martial arts, football, basketball, soccer, skating and Surfing. Surfing was the one sport that had a lasting impact, not only because of the sheer enjoyment of the act but also for the environment. The beach was filled with beauty and debauchery and became my new playground. There, my fantasies became reality. Voluptuous women frolicking formed vivid and lasting images. The debauchery I witnessed on the beach created an overwhelming curiosity for the opposite sex that led me to be exposed to pornography. My first obsession was with the porn star Christy Canyon. She was the epitome of perfection in my eyes and she quickly formed the standard for beauty I have always held on to.

Maybe Innocent

From living in a third world country imbued with an abundance of decadence and violence due to terrorism by the shinning path and to the experiences of teenage sexual awakening in an American culture bursting with veiled but still undeniable undercurrents of sex and rebellion, my memories are filled with all these images, which I seek to express through painting.