THE SPIRIT OF FUTBOL

ORIGIN STORY

Futbol (Soccer) HAS had a tremendous impact on MY LIFE. AS A YOUNG BOY I GREW UP ON THE FIELD PLAYING IN THE MICRON LEAGUE AT MY LOCAL YMCA since I was barely old enough to stand. When ADULTS ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED TO BE WHEN I GREW UP, I WOULD SAY A WORLD CUP SOCCER PLAYEr.

I loved soccer. I remember visiting my Abuelo and UNCLE TEOFILo in ECUADOR and being AMAZED AND EXCITED that they were setting alarms to get up at 3am to watch futbol MATCHES on TV. They told me PELE was the greatest player of all time. ON MY RETURN My biography report at catholic elementary school was about the Brazilian legend HIMSELF, although our little school library had only ONE book about him, I would check it out often and learn more about him at the local public library (Pre-Internet) and FOR A MOMENT IN TIME HE secured his place in my life as my childhood hero.

I’D PLAY almost everyday AT catholic SCHOOL in the parking lot playground, AND WOULD CONTINUE afterschool IN THE neighbors YARDs with my friends Alex and Luke. HOWEVER, THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE OF ALL WAS when I MOVed to ECUADOR IN THE 4th Grade at 10 years old.

moving to a different country, a new school, no friends, staying in a small upper level apartment with younger sisters who had no interest in soccer made me long for the independence I had in my old neighborhood and the friendships of a life I Once knew.

the apartment complex manager (an older lady) scolded me in Spanish for kicking a soccer ball in the downstairs Parking courtyard and with my moms BLESSING I VENTURED outside the gateS inTO the street AND STARTED kicking a ball against a wall by myself.

I’ll never forget the day I met sergio. He was Younger than me and Him and HIS brother JAIME (mY AGE) lived across the street. I saw him get off the bus IN a jersey, a backpack, A baseball cap and to my ASTONISHMENT, WEARING goalie gloves. I stopped and looked at him from across the street wide eyed knowing he had a love for the game as much as I did, After all, who would just wear goalie gloves ON A BUS for no reason?

The bus pulled away, we caught a glimpse of each other from opposite sides of the street, but I was a shy gringo kid with subpar Spanish and as Sergio turned to enter his apartment complex I slowly turned back towards kicking my ball at the wall feeling intimidated and a little sorry for myself for not being brave enough to try to make a friend.

Moments Later as I chased after My ball wondering if I’d ever make friends, Sergio Re-Appeared, cap turned backwards, gloves on his hands, walking towards me. Not knowing what to say, I kicked the ball towards him and the rest is history. From that day on, one of us would show up in the street with a ball and look for each other pretty much everyday afterschool. he introduced me to his brother and to some other kids in his apartment complex and we would all get together and play soccer or marbles until it got dark, until our moms called us in for dinner, or to go do our tareas (Homework).

(Captain Tsubasa) was a Japanese Animation about Elementary school soccer players who wanted to become professional FUTBOLISTAS. It never made it to the USA due to licensing but IT INSPIRED A WHOLE GENERATION OF KIDS THROUGhOUT countries in EUROPE and latin America TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THE BEAUTIFUL GAME. I had never seen anything like it, THE DRAMA, THE VISUAL STYLE, IT WAS THE COOLEST CARTOON ART I’d EVER SEEN! Titles and characters were adapted to the countries culture and in Ecuador it was called SuPERCAMPEONES. The two main heroes were Benji and Oliver. Benji was an impenetrable goalkeeper who could stop a baseball from going into the goal and Oliver was a soccer prodigy who loved futbol aND delivering for HIS TEAM. On the streets of Quito, Ecuador, I was Oliver, Sergio was Benji ,and our dream was to go grow up and be professional futbol players in the World Cup…. I’ll circle back to this cartoon later.

I didn’t become a professional futbol Player, but With World Cup HAPPEning THIS YEAR DURING MY BIRTHDAY MONTH, AND The excitement and buzz of the USA HOSTING thE TouRNAMENT, I WANTED TO EXPLORE the nostalgia OF that feeling I once had about soccer through my artwork.

HOW THIS PROJECT STARTED

Art Is more often than not something that occurs in solitude at a studio, and that is where I began this journey. what started out AS a simple GOAL to Paint stick figures on a CLASSIC soccer ball evolved into something else entirely. While painting I noticed that the black panels are A different Shape than the white ones yet they all somehow fit together perfectly to form a sphere. My engineering brain kicked in and I began wondering what math wizard out there discovered how to place TWO different shaped panels in a configuration to form a soccer ball? what is the shape when it is unfolded? how does it work mathematically? This led to some research AND RABBIT HOLES OF Discovery and RE-IGNITED SOME TRAUMA FROM FAILING CLASSes AT GEORGIA TECH. I FOLLOWED MY CURIOSITY AND decided to create an infographic style artwork around this idea. “Futbol Engineering” comes on rolled CANVAS in a 16 x 24 in. size with a HAND Painted signature and stick figure. IT ALSO INCLUDES A SECRET AUGMENTED REALITY ACTIVATION THAT I AM STILL DEVELOPING.

THE ART OF A DRAFTSMEN

I HAVE NEVER TAKEN A FORMAL art class OR INSTRUCTION. THE CLOSEST THING I’VE EXPERIENCED TO AN ART CLASS was technical drafting in High School and AGAIN in College While obtaining a mechanical engineering degree. I love a good technical ILLUSTRATION, a clean construction and architectural blueprint, and the precision of CAD and VECTOR ILLUSTRATION, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING SATISFYING and primal THAT comes from CREATING something WITH YOUR HANDS. I love the sequence of motion and have explored hand drawn animation and decided to make one related to Futbol. I took a video of myself executing a kick, isolated the video frames to study the movements, and hand drew them on paper with a mechanical drafting pencil. “El Tiro” is a technical drawing showing the sequence of a Kick. I included my signature stick figure array which I counted afterwards totalling to 582. My hand hurt from drawing but I enjoyed every minute of watching a blank piece of paper turn into a masterpiece. The original is framed in gold and available for purchase as are some rolled canvas prints.

TAKING YOUR BEST SHOT

I’m a multi-disciplinAry artist but my first ever art exhibition was sometime in 2011 and was a series of (4) photographs Taken while I lived in Los Angeles, Ca. I have never really enjoyed studio photography and for me the Thrill of photography is about capturing a moment and putting yourself in a position to capture a once in a lifetime EVENT. you need to be aware of your surroundings, anticipate the moment before it happens, get yourself in the right position, AND be ready to take the snap. sometimes it is just about dumb luck and being in the right place at the right time. You can draw similar parallels with scoring a goal during a match, everything is in motion and you need to be ready. I still grieve over some of the Photos I missed by a split second and can never get back. As I was putting this show together I remembered one of those moments I DID CATCH THAT CAPTURED The Spirit of Futbol and I want to share it with you…

THE GOOD LIFE | CUBA | ©2019

IN 2019, AFTER A FEW CHALLENGING YEARS FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF MY FATHER WHO LOST HIS BATTLE TO A DOUBLE DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER, I visited CUBA with my mom and my friend billy. it was A PLACE my dad had always wanted to go. I had a pretty strained relationship with my father during the last years of his life (he didn’t approve of my decision to struggle while pursuing art over engineering), and there was a legal and financial mess left to deal with AFTER HIS DEATH, so the trip was somewhat of a reward/ REprieve for getting through a CHALLENGING period for me and my family and a way to honor his passing. Visiting Cuba was like time traveling. for political reasons (Still a communist country), it has remained largely stuck in time untouched by the outside world. stepping into it reminded me of my CHILDHOOD IN ECUADOR whEN IT WAS still considered a third world country. while CUBA is a communist and seemingly impoverished country that appears to suppress its people, there is AN immense cultural value and beauty FLOURISHIng THERE. I Met aRtists, thieves, hustlers, farmers, prostitutes, brujas and government officials while I was there and when people ask what my favorite part was, without a question it was the people and their strength, resiliency, and kindness. Photography was my first Creative outlet and I always stay strapped with a camera when I travel. I took the picture below from the balcony of A rented room somewhere in Varadero. I recognized the sound of A ball hitting A wall (Somewhere between a thud and a whack) and went out to investigate. the boys Playing futbol in the street at night, The inappropriate footwear, the vintage car..Cuba may be stuck in time, but I Saw something timeless that spoke to that little boy growing up in Ecuador: freedom, JOY, and capacity to FIND PLAY in spite of oppression. I Invite you to collect this work in two formats; as A limited edition (of 3) signed archival photo with minimal retouching or as A 1 of 1 Artistic Variation in A Custom Bahr III Signature Stick Figure Frame.

WORLD BUILDING WITH ART and ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

remembering the cartoon I loved as a child I found some episodes of Captain Tsubasa (superCampeones) onLINE and put it on while I was working. while drawing figures and listening to the dialogue I began to understand and remember the importance and significance of a TEAm. I believe The reason my stick figure works are effective and why iv’e been able to sell them for thousands of dollars (CRAZY RIGHT?) is because they represent us, an INTERCONNECTED community WITH each person contributING to the OUTCOME OF THE whole and reminding us that we are all one interconnected species. the spirit of FUTBOL IN THE WORLD CUP revolves around play through healthy INTERNATIONAL competition THAT TRANSCENDS BORDERS, GOVERNMENTS, RACE, RELIGION, AND IDEOLOGIES. IT FASCINATES ME THAT THIS SPORT CAN BE PLAYED ALMOST ANYWHERE AND BREAK BARRIERS. I THINK GREAT ART HAS THE SAME EFFECT. while there are star players that stick out (the red stick figure), it is the teamwork and the dedicated fans around the world that inspire greatness and truly support the system as a whole. While Drawing these parallels from hand painting Stick Figures, my creative brain began to cook on the significance of these realizations. I’ve created several anime style artworks already as a ode to my childhood fascinations, but as the Creative powers stirred I began to wonder if it was possible, through the use of AI tools to place myself inside my own cartoon world where I could FULFILL MY DREAM OF PLAYING in the World Cup alongside my DREAM team.

Not ONLY IS IT POSSIBLE. IT’s UNPRECEDENTED.

and that brings me to the next part of this art release. I don’t have gallery representation, and I haven’t ever sought it out. I represent myself and I do it because I like having control over how my art is experienced and connecting with my collectors. I believe art is more than something that decorates your space, it decorates your soul. great art and powerful artists leave you inspired with a changed perspective. The most valuable thing I’ve ever received in exchange for art wasn’t monetary, it was a thank you and a connection from the people who left knowing that a beautiful dream is achievable and possible through acts of creation and experience together.

Remember World Building? Well that’s the NEXT PART HERE. The tools have become powerful enough to make BUILDING A PILOT A reality AS A SINGLE ARTIST, HOWEVER I want you to be aN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT AND creator in this next part. I catch HEAT and see the hate coming from ANTI A.I. people, but IN MY EXPERIENCE A.I. is a TOOL THAT IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE HUMAN INGENUITY AND IMAGINATION BEHIND IT, sAME AS A PAINTBRUSH, OR A SOCCER BALL, AND THAT IS THE PREMISE OF THE SHORT FILM I WANT YOUR HELP IN CREATING. THE SPIRIT OF FUTBOL IS A SHORT FILM WHERE HUMAN ATHLETES FACE OFF AGAINSt “SPORTEK ROBOTS” WHO ARE ENGINEERED BY AN EVIL TECH COMPANY AND CONTROLLED BY GAMERS WHO HAVE BECOME CULTURALLY ENGINEERED as PAWNS FOR LARGE ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATIONS. WILL HUMANS PREVAIL OVER TECHNOLOGY OR WILL THE ROBOTS CLAIM SUPERIORITY?!

THE ARMOR

When people go into battle, into business, or into a competitive environment, it is important that they recognize the team they’re on and That IS WHY I’ve BEEN busy DEVELOPING THE APPROPRIATE ARMOR. THERE HAS BEEN A DELAY GIVEN THAT THis PROJECT HAS EVOLVED, BUT IT IS FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. IF YOU’RE GOING TO FACE OFF AGAINST ROBoTS YOU HAVE TO LOOK GOOD DOING IT. COLLECTORS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENTER AS FANS, PLAYERS, OR A CORPORATE SPONSOR and WILL RECEIVE PHYSICAL CUSTOM JERSEYS AND PRODUCER CREDITS IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TOWARDS WINNING. TO STAY UPDATED ON THE NEXT PART OF THIS RELEASE, PLEASE SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER BELOW TO BE NOTIFIED FIRST.