My Interview

Guess Who’s Going to Dinner? Intererview

Subject: Jose Cuneo, Artist, from Uruguay





1. What events in your early life made you get interested in the arts?

A: I have always been interested in art, especially scenes at night. I found them very inspiring. My life as a real professional artist began when I went to the workshops of the masters.

I was trained by the master Carlos Maria Herrera in 1906, which was when I was in my late teens. I then traveled to Italy to study in the workshop of Anton Maria Mucchi. I was lucky to work under them, for they made me the artist I was.



2. What role did mentors play in helping you develop the interests and talents you have as an artist?

A: As said, I was trained by many professionals. When I returned to Europe for a second time I studied with Anglada Camarasa and Van Dongen. After I was done painting in Italy, with Anton, I traveled to the Grande Chaumier in Paris, the art center of the world. I was especially interested in the paintings of Cezzane and Gaugin. I also studied at the Vitti Academy, with Kees van Dongen and Herman Anglada y Camarasa.

I returned to Europe a year later, and found myself especially interested in painting pianists, and landscapes and portraits of the city of Melo. Until 1918, many of my works were landscapes. Natural scenes were very inspiring to me.

3. What was the world of art like in your particular art field when you entered it?

A: During my era, art was not the largest thing on people’s minds. A world war was beginning. However, Surrealism and art deco had started to become quite a fad. People were now merging art, and architecture. Art could be used in many mediums now, such as glass, metal, or wood.

Other types of Art included Abstract Expession, the Modernist Movement, and Dadaism. Some famous artists of this time included Georgia O’Keefe, Morgan Russel, and Man Ray. While my art was not completely abstract, I did use the diagonal frequently, which many considered to be a trademark of mine later.



4. How did major cultural, economic, and political situations of this time impact your art?

A: The political setting influenced my art greatly. On one of my many trips to Europe, I saw Germany torn apart by World War II. I returned to Uruguay to seek the comfort of my hometown, and I expressed myself through painting. Many of my paintings feature large moons, because the moon is so large and bright, and earth is so small and dark.

Seeing my most favorite city destroyed hurt me very much. I longed for the simpleness of Uruguay, where I could draw my landscapes and ranches, without politics hurting me.



5. What were the major accomplishments and methods you used in your art?

A: Well, as I have said when I first introduced myself to you, good reader, I have received National attention for my watercolors. I won the Grand Prize Gold Medal for Sculpture and Painting at the Sixth National Salon, Silver Medal at First National Fine Arts Salon in Montevideo, and many more.

I also was well known for using Diagonal Orientation. The Diagonal Line was not very popular at the time, but I am proud to say that I used it with great success. I think it made my art stand out against all those horizontal pieces.



6. What were the key opportunities that led you to turning points in life and art?

A: Fortunately, I had many opportunities in life for education and inspiration. I was able to work under many experts, as said, and travel abroad to Europe many times. World War II inspired me beyond all belief, but it also made me very sad. However, it also shaped me as the artist I am.

I studied at the Grand Chaumiere Academy in 1917, but I also studied independently. I had the fortune, moneywise and luckwise, to live in many European cities and to paint. Many artists helped me on my journey, and they led me to great fortune.



7. What personal choices did you make to become successful?

A: I never truly settled down, or married. Es un Listo, and artists life is hard. I knew I had to become an artists, as the only other option was to stay in Montevideo, where my career would have been hopelessly drab and mundane. No, I was an artist at heart, and would have never been content to be a farmer, or a sheep-herder.

When I was tired of roaming Europe, I took some teaching jobs at various European schools. These included the Industrial School, Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Horacio Quiroga studio, and the National School of Fine Arts, all in Uruguay. So you see I did feel some attachment to my country.



8. What hardships or roadblocks did you have to overcome to be an artists?

A: Gracias A Dios, my life as an artist was relatively easy. Now my family’s reaction when I told them I was going to Europe was the hardest part. But really, I think it was the competition I met during the time period. It was such a time for modern art, mad of glass and wood, that oil paintings and watercolors had to be absolutely spectacular and attention grabbing to be considered good.

C. Coles Phillips, an American illustrator, was one of the most famous of my day. It was hard to enter a salon without hearing his name. Maxwell Parish was also quite renowned. Between you and me though, I liked my art better. While the competition was hard, I do have the absolute upmost respect for my fellow artists.



9. What kind of limitations did you run into as an artist and a person?

A: While I consider myself to be an excellent painter, it is to my everlasting regret that my sculptures were not celebrated along side my paintings. While I did study sculpture with Leonard Bistolfi, nowadays people don’t even know I had an interest in it!!

My style was often critiqued, which would sometimes make me feel depressed. My style changed in 1930, after I admired Chaim Soutine’s work. You will see my new style in my more famous landscapes, and also my moons. This was met with slightly more success. But hey, you can’t please everyone.

10. What personal stories best illustrate how you became successful in the arts?

A: My friend, never try to relate to an artist. It will always end badly. However, I will see if I could perhaps share one or two.

I was a unique type of artist. My approach to art was very uncommon. It made me stand out, but sometimes I think it made me feel more alone. In Europe I stood out, being a South American, you see. I immersed myself in Europe, and my style was at times very European. However, as my life went on, I became more intriqued with my homeland, which I had left when I was very young. I started drawing more Uruguayan scenes, and eventually passed on my talents to other young South Americans. As an artist, you will see the world differently than others, and you must try to show people what you see.

Adios, mi Comprendos!