History of El Gusano

    This Sunday I was able to complete my newest oil painting called History of El Gusano. This painting is part of the Cuba Libre Series I have been expanding on this year. My goal is to have a minimum of twenty paintings for the Cuba Libre Series. As of now, I have a total of seven paintings. If you have not checked out my website, http://theartisticgiraffe.com, I encourage you to go so you can look at my artwork. I plan to have a major art event in June 2016 in Hackensack, New Jersey but the plans are in their infancy so I will let you know more soon. Make sure to stay connected and follow me! 

      This is History of El Gusano:

       Please let me know what you think about it. What does it mean to you? Do you like the color palette? Does it spark any questions?

       I love to talk about my artwork. It always makes me smile when people ask me the meaning behind my paintings. It means they are genuinely interested in what my paintings are about. 

       History of El Gusano illustrates the lack of freedom of speech in Cuba. Unfortunately, Cubans do not have the right to speak against the government. If a person does and is caught, they can face imprisonment in addition to possibly more. It is truly a deprivation of a basic human right. 

         However, on the left, a man is speaking to a woman about his anti - communistic views. Sadly tho, a next door neighbor, the house in the middle, is listening in and taking notes. This neighbor, if he is communist, is greatly rewarded if he reports his neighbor to the government, which he does. 

          The government, on the right, takes the report and sends the police to the anti - communist man's home to arrest him. He will be charged with a multitude of unlawful charges and ultimately be a political prisoner. This is the price the Cuban people pay for speaking their minds. This is the price for just having an opinion about a government that has fundamentally failed it's people. 

         So what is with the title of my painting? Why is it called History of El Gusano? What does "Gusano" mean? Well, the title reflects on the history of many who are called "Gusanos". The term "Gusano" is a derogatory term used in Cuba created by Fidel Castro to refer to Cubans who are against the Cuban Revolution and defect from Cuba. It is a nasty term used by communists who are against the basic human right of freedom of speech and more. 

     Countless Cubans have suffered due to their lost of freedom of speech. Needless to say, countless other Cubans still suffer from being brutally stripped of their human rights. There are horrible crimes being committed by the Cuban government daily and there is no consequence. The only option is to leave indefinitely or follow like a sheep... Baaaaa! 

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Thanks again,

Stephanie O'Connor