Al the artistic identities I invented.
People who live according to their society rules, gladly walk the road which was paved for them, however, individuals who don’t fit into this structure, need to make their own path.I chose a Spanish phrase as the title of this post, because I don’t like any of its English translations. “Walker, there is no road, …
Read more “Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar!”
The natural birth of my daughter was, by all means, the most powerful event I had ever witnessed. It was such a deep experience, as if a hand came out of my heart and pulled me down to the innermost part of earth.My girlfriend had a wonderful pregnancy. Then, on the last day of the …
Recognizing a process of a personal change I am going through, usually triggers in me an urge to invent a new identity. Through a new identity, I find it easier to adjust to the new reality, to express my excitement and concerns, and to document the specific circumstances.In 2015, after a long period of efforts …
Being sick in paradise truly feels like hell.I came back to visit my beloved Dominican Republic. I was flooded with happy memories, surrounded by lush green hills, and a magnificent turquoise ocean, when towards the end of my trip I began to feel dizzy and weak. Although I was familiar with that feeling, initially I denied it, …
Nothing in life compares to the wonder of becoming a parent. It was the single most empowering, inspiring and gratifying event that I experienced as a human being.In July 2013 my girlfriend and I became parents to an amazing baby boy. We immediately fell in love with him and became the two most devoted fans of …
As an artist, I can legitimately choose to extend a reality which ended, and felt like a dream come true.Terrenero is someone who resides in, or whose origins are from Las-Terrenas, once a picturesque fishermen’s village, and now a touristic upbeat beach town in the Samana Peninsula of the Dominican Republic.My girlfriend and I lived in …
Looking back at negative occurrences, which ended up positively, 20 years later and say “How wonderful that they happened”, is no brainer.The challenge is to recognize the positive potential outcome of such occurrences as they happen, and to act in order to achieve it.In the beginning of 2012, with a bunch of stressful situations in …
Read more “When my right hand forgot its skill, I became Izquierdo.”
I entered the reef with sunrise that morning, near our house in Las-Terrenas, Dominican Republic. The water was calm and warm, like a huge swimming pool in paradise. On such days, spearfishing was not a struggle at all, but rather a pure pleasure of the senses. Concentrating on swift silent movements, instead of chasing fish, …
My maturity as an artist is not about my skill level, the beauty of my work, or its sophistication. It is more about me being in peace with my work; knowing what I do and why I do it, expressing my visions to my own satisfaction, whether its internal, external, abstract or real.In the beginning …
I was born in Israel and will always be Israeli, however, at some point in 2009 I felt completely Dominican. After 7 years of living in the Dominican Republic: speaking Dominican Spanish, eating Platanos and Mondongo, drinking Brugal and Presidente, dancing Merengue, Bachata and Reggaeton, exploring each and every corner of this amazing country, and …
In our dreams and fantasies we can be and do anything we want; Fly like an Eagle, Swim like a Dolphin etc. But in reality, we are limited by our physical capabilities, so we take comfort in our limitless imagination.Influenced by my fantasies, I began practicing free diving on a daily basis, and I became the …
“So…your girlfriend dumped you?” (“Tu novia te boto?) Everybody in Las-Terrenas kept asking me the same question for a very long time, not even hiding their teasing tone, or caring about my explanations that she was urgently called back to Israel to take care of personal family issues, and that she’ll be back…one day. Nobody …
The beauty in making your own rules is that you can break them without asking permission or being punished for it. So if I need to resurrect an artist identity which I invented 7 years ago, no problem at all, I just do it. After 5 happy years in Las-Terrenas, my girlfriend and I moved …
Read more “The comeback of Jean Gler and the material quality debate.”
I was walking by myself on the beach of Manzanillo, looking for adventures, when I met a man who led a cow in one hand and carried a machette in the other. I greeted him and asked what he was up to. He replied that he’s a butcher and that he was about to slaughter …
Read more “Mondongo – the revelation of the inside (not for vegans!)”
I woke up late on that Saturday, after a long night of dancing and drinking, and I was still drunk. By evening, when I still felt dizzy and weak, I realized that something was wrong with me. A few days later I already experienced a bunch of other disturbing symptoms, and the Doctor who reviewed …
“What the fuck is that?” I asked my girlfriend perplexed. I was gazing back and forth between her eyes and the object we bumped into, on the jungle’s grassy floor. “Don’t touch it!” my girlfriend exclaimed, and then continued…”It’s crazy…someone is pulling our legs, I’m telling you, and if not, it’s a freaky tiny alien, …
Read more “The shocking jungle encounter that made me Impidicus.”
I never take myself too seriously, thus I consider myself a liberated artist. Sometimes I’m busy thinking about a new identity that I’m about to crown; the meaning of the name and how it sounds, the theme and where it would take me. Other times, I do not even think about it, I just follow my …
“What happened?” I asked John, who approached me smiling and shook my hand. The pastor from the neighboring crematory was screaming in Spanish in the background, while we both looked at the two police patrol cars that parked in front of the boarding house. “Did you meet the two new guys from room # 5 …
Read more “The Boarding House – dedicated to my brothers in Miami.”
Astaldo, which means the valiant in Elvish, is a character invented by Tolkien. When my girlfriend, Limor, was reading ‘Silmarillion’ by Tolkien, she named herself ‘Nessa’ and gave me the name ‘Astaldo’. In 2001 I traveled to Miami and lived by myself for 3 months in a ‘boarding house’ room, in what was then considered one …
Nobody really knows who Jean Gler was. Where? when? and who invented the myth? The ‘legend’ is about an elegant, somewhat secretive gentleman, often associated with style, quality, luxury and clearly beautiful ladies.When you taste an exquisite Whiskey, you can declare: …mmm…Jean Gler!In 1999 I began working in sales and had hard times. Frustrated from being …