Written for the

Kung-Fu Mania and other Broken Sketches Book Project

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“Art has to be a kind of confession. I don’t mean a true confession in the sense of that dreary magazine. The effort it seems to me, is: if you can examine and face your life, you can discover the terms with which you are connected to other lives, and they can discover them, too — the terms with which they are connected to other people.”

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– James Baldwin

 

INTRODUCTION

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Why did I create these drawings and why should it matter?

 

Growing up in Brooklyn during the 70s and 80s wasn’t an easy matter for a young Puerto Rican boy like myself at the time.  Faced with challenges from understanding my own identity as a “New York Rican”, I am a native of Brooklyn, New York, brought some difficulties and harsh struggles let alone that I was dealing with racial discrimination, poverty, and a lack of what I consider a good education.  It seemed that I was the only one in my immediate family that long to have a bookcase full of books coupled with an art studio where I could be free to create whatever my heart desired.  That would include the opportunity to being unencumbered with the burden of daily mediocrity and the grind of just plain existence.

 

I was about 11 years old when a cousin of mine took me to the local movie theatre where I saw my first Kung-fu movie (a subgenre of action films).  It was actually a double feature so I saw that day –my first!  Little did I know that this little dingy movie theatre would have such an impact on my life from that day on.

 

It was a small theatre in Sunset Park, Brooklyn called the Coliseum and it was during that time that it was the center of the community with regard to movie entertainment.  Anyone who lived in Sunset Park had gone at least once or twice to that movie theatre.  It showed all kinds of films from Latin America and the Caribbean (primarily from Puerto Rico), black exploitation films, B Movies, the frequent blockbuster and of course the occasional porn film both in Spanish and English.  It was most famous for being the mecca of kung-fu and action films almost every weekend for years throughout the 70s and 80s. 

 

My first martial arts film was called “Chinese Hercules” made in 1973 which starred Bolo Yeung as its primary villain. The film captured my imagination especially when I saw this ancient way of fighting called “Kung-fu” or “Gung-fu”.  The second film kind of sealed it for me, and I instantly fell in love with them, which was “The Way of the Dragon” aka “Return of the Dragon” with Bruce Lee made in 1972.  To see Bruce Lee and see how he was able to use his body to express speed, power, finesse and courage in a way that I never saw before simply blew my mind away!  There was a third film I need to mention that I remember during that time that was called “Kung-fu Gold” made in 1974. This film like the other two really cemented my fascination with this genre and opened my eyes that movie heroes can be of different nationalities other than Caucasian. Though I was young, it wasn’t lost on me that there was a difference between my Asian heroes and the white ones I was so accustomed to.  I felt a kindred-ness to my new heroes that caused a lifelong exploration of seeing the world with a new perspective that helped me see myself differently.

 

Each of these films captured my imagination in its simple story lines and magnificent use of body, hand and feet as a form of combat. It was like having a religious epiphany.  Not only did I instantly become a fan I was obsessed!

 

Once I reached middle school age I started to draw martial arts figures on any piece of paper I could find.  Of course, being a huge fan of Bruce Lee I would make him the subject of all my many early drawings.  I would buy any martial arts books and magazines I could find about Bruce Lee, Kung-fu and other martial arts.  I used much of this as fodder for my obsession with drawing it at that time.  Sadly many of those early drawings were lost or thrown away since it was not taken seriously by anyone but myself when growing up.  I kept drawing nonetheless.

 

I didn’t realize until many years later that I could have developed a body of work of what I consider interesting and creative drawings on an amazing subject.  So recently after reviewing some drawings I made and creating several more that I decided the creation of a book.

 

Let me say that this is not about being an artist necessarily trying to “show off” his work.  I seriously feel that it’s about the work itself and what it represents.  We all go through life touched and moved by things we are never able to communicate to others and worst we can be frustrated by the fact that these were special movements and even memories lost or remain in the mind alone and nowhere else.  I in turn would like to share some of my memories through these drawings.

 

Art to me is about telling a story that reflects the experiences of the artist.  As well as a reflection of emotions and thoughts that are part of their worldview, language and culture.  Many stories are layered with underlying truths that are not so obvious but if we as viewers and readers were to look deeply and listen deeply we may find something that can cause us to see the world we live in a different light.

 

I hope these simple drawings and broken sketches shine a time that was special not only to me but to others as well.  It might not make sense to many but that’s not the point, it tells a story. In sharing it maybe the viewer of this work can find a connection to their own story, experiences and dare I say have an “epiphany” of something they once held dear.

 

 

July 13th 2021