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, My biography report at catholic elementary school was about my hero, the Brazilian legend - Pele. I remember visiting my Ecuadorian Abuelo and him and my UNCLE TEOFILIN setting alarms to get up at 3am to watch futbol games on TV. They told me PELE was the greatest player of all time. although our school library had only ONE book about him, I would check it out often and find out more about him at the local public library (Pre-Internet).

I’D PLAY almost everyday AT catholic SCHOOL in the parking lot playground, afterschool IN neighbors YARDs with my friends Alex and luke, AND 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 gate 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 wearing a jersey, a backpack, A baseball cap and to my SURPRISE, 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 players. It never made it to the USA due to licensing but was POPULAR in many countries in EUROPE and latin America INCLUDING ECUADOR. 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 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 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 through my artwork.

HOW THIS PROJECT STARTED

Art Is often something that occurs in solitude at a studio, and that is where I began this journey, but what started out AS a GOAL to Paint stick figures on a CLASSIC soccer ball has become 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 who discovered how to place panels on a soccer ball? what is the shape when it is unfolded? how does it work mathematically? This led to some research and Discovery and I decided to create an infographic style artwork around this idea.

remembering the cartoon I loved as a 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. IN my art one stick figure doesn’t really have an impact and people joke about it being the easiest form of art, however, The reason my stick figure works are effective is because although made up of individuals they fit together and are connected to form a whole community interconnected. World Cup unites the world, the spirit of soccer revolves around play through healthy competition and while there are star players, it is the teamwork and the fans around the world that support the system as a whole. Drawing these parallels my creative brain began to cook on the significance of these realizations. I’ve created several anime style artworks already as a reflection of my childhood upbringing, 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 be in the World Cup playing alongside my team.

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 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 dream in spite of oppression. I Invite you to collect this work in two formats; as limited edition signed archival photo with minimal retouching or as A 1 of 1 Artistic Variation in A Custom Bahr III Signature Stick Figure Frame.