EntreVistArtista Emil Valev

MATERIAL EXPUESTO SOLO PARA LECTURA [No se autoriza la reproducción parcial o total de la entrevista a Emil Valev].

Emil Valev

Proyecto EntreVistArtista (EVA) © 2009 - 2013
Autora: Rosa Matilde Jiménez Cortés
“Entre Tú y Yo”: Emil Valev (Bulgaria)

EntreVistArtista: En 1980 estudiaste en la Escuela Nacional de Arte en Francia, arte abstracto, arte experimental, instalación, teatro... ¿Eres de los artistas que prefieren diversificar su forma de expresión abarcando diferentes disciplinas o aquel que opta alcanzar la perfección especializándose en una sola materia?

 

1. In 1980 you studied at the National School of Art in France, abstract art, experimental art, installation, theater... Are you one of those artists who prefer to diversify their means of expression encompassing different disciplines or those who choose to attain perfection specializing in one only area?

 

 

Emil Valev: Well Rosa, I start from your 22 question because it's related with the first one. I was born in a family of new generation of intellectuals in a new society – communist society.

 

My father studied Mining University in Yekaterinburg – Russia where he married my mother who was ophthalmologist, so they moved to Sofia and there I was born in 1957 year.

 

My parents liked to travel so when I was 4, I visited Russia, than at 7 – Greece, Macedonia, at 13 – Libya and Egypt, at 14 – Austria, Germany, France, England, Belgium, at 17 Russia again. All the things I saw at those trips – museums, architecture, ancient cities, society, opened my mind to lots of aspects of human civilization and culture. As a teenager I already had information about Egyptian, Greek, Roman cultures – the background of European civilization.

 

In the time as a student in Art College in Sofia – 1973-76....I was interested at modern painting of the first half of XX c.: such as S. Dali, P. Picasso, A. Derrain, F. Leger, Kandinski, R. Duffi, the Russian avantgarde.... I liked a lot Orozco... I remember I saw his album in a City Library – I was fascinated by his frescoes in some cathedral – The mechanical knights burning with fire – the expression of the absolute power....

 

There was no INTERNET at those times but there was a good cinema and albums with reproductions, maybe rare but it made it more desirable....

 

The cinema was more with Russian films (propaganda) but there was Tarkovski – the great revelation, also some films of Bergmann,a lot of American movies – at that time quite better than now – with actors like Faye Dunaway, Robert Redford etc. also there was the French wave from the 60-es with F. Truffaut, Goddard...the Italian cinema....and for sure most exited I was by the music...at the end of 60-es – Beatles, Kinks.... Later Led Zeppelin.... At the beginning of 70-es – Pink Floyd, ELP, Roxy Music, Mahavishnu Orchestra and many many others....

 

So you see all these great things made me want to do the same.... I always draw from 3 years old... The musical instruments came later – the guitar -at 13-14; piano at 16....

 

When I studied the Econe Nationale D'Art in Cergy-Pontoise the new forms like performances and installations didn't attracted me.. I was not in a good terms with some of the teachers because of it....There I mostly did drawings, wood masks, and theater – which I would like to learn much more but..... what I studied a lot at that time was theories about colors – Kandinsky, Klee and primitive world arts.... especially Oceania ….

 

Video I started to do at the time we met at Youtube space ….

 

So I thing I did a lot of different forms of art in my life but lately I'm occupied mostly with painting and sometimes I thing – I would do more if I was concentrated only on it…... But I couldn't deny my love to the other things I did....

 

Well Rosa I could write much more but I'm afraid to become - “too much”

 

P.S. One french painter told me once – “the painter must work all the time”.... so I think different forms of art some way help each other .

 

I try to work all the time... no matter what is the form, we transform the spirit to matter...

 

 

 

 

EVA: En relación con lo anterior ¿consideras que un artista multidisciplinario pueda revelar falta de personalidad en su proceso creativo?

 

2. In connection to the previous question, should a multidisciplinary artist reveal a lack of personality in his creative process?

 

 

 

EV:  How does anybody loose his personality by doing anything....if he does, he don't have it at all... Maybe you mean that he can't take enough time and concentrate enough by doing too much things at the same time.... Maybe there's some reason in this.... But I always looked for, in my life, for the excitement, for the feelings, for the flame that make me burn in the process of the creation...

 

I easily get bored so I always needed doing different things... Also as you remark I have affinity for experiments...but lately I repeat I start to be more sedentary and try to do more completed works. I become more traditionally....

 

Anyway I don't think some can loose his personality by doing a lot of things in a same time – it will reflect on the quality or profoundness of his “euvres”, but the identity will stay his own identity.... or personality…. For finishing I think in the art you can't hide nothing.... So your works will reflect your personality or strength, or level, or state of mind....

 

 

 

 

EVA: ¿Qué aspectos de tu vida, la pintura y tú caminaron al unísono? ¿Hubo algún romance que alcanzara notoriedad llenándote de satisfacción?

 

3. What aspects of your life, painting and yourself walked in unison? Was there a romance that reached notoriety, filling you with satisfaction?

 

 

 

EV: In fact I start do a paintings quite late, when I was 22-23.... In Paris at Beaux-Arts... Of course I did paint before especially in the art college and for myself, but I was more turned to drawings... to reach some level in the painting I needed a lot of years.... Well, I had some achievements but only the last years I think I started to reach what I purchased…..

 

I think everybody transmit directly everything he is.... When he create... I wrote before; so everything you absorb, feel, your illusions, your desires, biases, everything reflect on your work.... So I'm like everybody....

 

 

 

 

EVA: En algún momento hiciste ilustraciones, portadas para libros, dibujos... ¿Quisieras abundar detalles acerca de dichas actividades, la experiencia y satisfacción obtenida?

4. At some point you did illustrations, book covers, drawings... Would you like to elaborate on details about these activities, experience and satisfaction gained?

 

 

 

EV:  Yes, I did these things when I returned in Sofia from Paris.... But I even don't remember very well much about these activities.... For me it was a way to make some money... Not very much indeed... Also I don't like to be depend on something as a job... Maybe the best was I met some nice people.... No satisfaction...

 

 

 

 

EVA: Se aprecia en tu obra pictórica rasgos surrealistas e impresionismo abstracto, donde sitúas a la mujer en un papel socialmente masculinizado por su feminidad, sostenidas a un cigarrillo tras un velo de misterio y sensualidad. ¿Qué hay detrás de esos rostros, qué es lo que miras y qué es lo que quieres que los demás vean? La carga de angustia, soledad y desamparo en que colocas a esas mujeres, sentadas de forma despreocupada ¿cuál es el mensaje en sí?

 

5. It shows in your paintings surreal and abstract impressionism features, where you place women in a masculine social role because of her femininity, holding a cigarette behind a veil of mystery and sensuality. What's behind those faces, what are you looking at and what do you want others to see? The burden of anxiety, loneliness and vulnerability that you place these women, sat in a careless way... what is the message itself?

 

 

EV: Well Rosa, I always liked to be in a company of a beautiful women... Also my attachment to the visual arts is the search of beauty, mystery, divinity in our life... I think I miss those things in my entourage.... So the woman with cigarette, well dressed, with absent expression, mysterious and fatal... A good symbol... Don't you think?

 

 

 

 

EVA: ¿Qué técnicas y formatos usas? Expones tu obra a menudo? He visto que tienes en venta algunas de ellas, ¿qué mercado te ha resultado más accesible y por qué?

 

6. What techniques and formats do you use? Do you often expose your work? I´ve seen you have for sale some of them, what market has been more accessible to you and why?

 

 

EV:  Well, usually I work with oil colors – bought in the stores, it would be better to make it by myself but I don't have a big studio where I could do it without thinking about the purity of the place... also sometimes I use tempera which I mix with ink and lately with acrylic but I don't like it too much....the acrylic...

 

My formats are different, recently I prefer bigger ones – 100/150 cm. I use canvas but also paper and drawing board.... when I have time I do the primer myself... I tried at the time to sell in internet but it doesn't work so I abandoned it a long time ago....

 

The market in Bulgaria is horrible... The people who call themselves gallerists are ignorants without taste in general... they want keep low prices and the taste of the low classes I really don't understand why... There are some more rich galleries where you don't get easily access …generally they are quite snob like everywhere in the world...

 

So I try to find a people to bye my work by my self...

 

At the time I exposed quite often – I have about 15 exhibitions mostly in Sofia... At the moment I look for a gallery to do another one ...I need it to meet potential clients....

 

Life is hard.

 

 

 

 

EVA: ¿Cómo se vive el arte y la cultura en Sofía? ¿Ha sido una plataforma que te haya facilitado llegar a otros puntos de encuentro?

 

7. What is art life and culture like in Sofia? Has it been a platform that has provided you get to other points of contact?

 

 

EV: I don't like the atmosphere in Sofia the last 15 years. The post communists created the mafia and the city is full of the mugs and other not very pleasant creatures... The culture fell down and it's very rural... Peasant.... So I'm not very social because of this...

 

I meet very few people and mostly stay at home in front of the tripod or the computer... I think there's some cultural life but very chaotic and not very high.... It's pity but the political and historical situation of Bulgaria are not very favorables.... That's life.....

Well, I suppose I'm quite severe... there's a lot of galleries, a lot of artists. for sure I don't know and I didn't saw a lot of the things that happened here, but maybe because I travel sometimes to west Europe and I see the better and higher situations, so I do a parallels, not very favorables for Sofia culture life....

 

P.S. Dear Rosa, today I visited the two biggest art centers in Sofia where I saw five exhibitions I liked a lot, so please allowed me to make a remark about the artists in Bulgaria. For sure even the social and political climate is bad and Sofia is full of unpleasant things, there's a lot of creative and positive artists who do not stop doing great work...

 

I often draw the things with too dark colors because every day you have to fight with so many stupid and unnecessary things and situations so you become yourself a creep.

 

Yes, these 5 exhibitions today gave me hope that not everything is lost... More I observe the situation here more I understand how necessary is the existing and developing of the arts in every society.....especially the beauty of the art, because there is some artists who, I think, serve the evil with their work.

 

 

 

 

EVA: ¿Qué aporte existe para los artistas emergentes en los festivales de arte y bienales en Sofía, Bulgaria? Por cierto ¿ejerces la enseñanza en alguna institución donde compartas tus conocimientos?

 

8. What input exists for emerging artists in art festivals and biennials in Sofia, Bulgaria? By the way, do you certainly teach at any institution where you share your knowledge?

 

 

EV: Sorry , for sure there's some organizations, but I'm quite old for them.

 

I think there's more thing for the young artists in the field of cinema, photography, computer stuff; etc. I think now with the internet they can look for realization everywhere in the world....

 

I'm not very prominent in the field of education. I was twice a teacher in the high school... The first time it was a state school and it was OK. (I teach there maybe half year).

 

The second time it was private school and it was one of worst time in my life! So I decided after never be a teacher again...

 

I've been invited to give lectures about the music in Sofia University - Cultural Studies - where i wanted to invite you; but it is very occasionally....

 

 

 

 

EVA: Además de pintor, eres músico. Un músico comprometido en constante renovación y experimentación, que se mantiene en vigencia, al tanto de las nuevas tendencias. Muéstranos tu mundo, ese espacio vital en el que te mueves: las performance, tu participación en acciones de vanguardia, festivales y grupos artísticos ¿cómo es ese mundo?

 

9. Besides a painter, you are a musician. A musician committed to constant renewal and experimentation, which remains in force, on top of new trends. Show us your world, the living space you move: the performance, your participation in art activities, festivals and arts groups, how is that world?

 

 

EV: Well Rosa, this is the long story... As I wrote before I was very attracted by the music from the end of 60 (es when I was 11 -12 years old). So sometimes I tried to play guitar with a friends of mine but it was just a fun, I was learning to draw and paint. Lately I started learn piano with a teacher which was something more serious and my attempts with the guitar also got better...

 

But still this was just a game and nothing serious... I didn't like a lot the pieces for piano I had to learn to improve my technique. When I went to France to study I had a lot of time and I started to play a lot, 10 - 12 hours a day... So this little by little made me know how to do the things.

 

In this period I listened a musicians like Jon Mclaughlin, Eberhard Weber, King Krimson, Van Der Graaf Generator,The Pretenders, Jan Garbarek...

 

I also started to compose songs thou it was quite imperfect. But there I could buy some equipment for more professional work....

 

In Paris I met quite strange and interesting people – For example a guy who called himself – Corbeau... a crow... (he seemed to be like a crow – Always dressed with a black swallow-tailed coat and with a long black hair...:-)) He learned me how to play harmonica..... He was perfect to draw strange Gothic pictures... I could write much more about the people there but it's another story.......

 

When I returned to Sofia I started to play with a rock band which continue about half year...

 

I didn't work well with the band members so I left and went to country side and concentrate on painting... Than after few years about 1990 after my trip to Berlin where I stayed 2-3 moths I decided to realize my dream to become a musician, doing records and concerts.

 

In that time the stile that attracted me was the underground music and the dark wave – Sisters Of Mercy, The Mission. So my compositions in the band, I called “Violet General” was dark, mystical and heavy.....

 

Despite my expectations the band become quite famous very quickly and we did a lot of concerts and was invited to do clips for television rock shows...

 

This was a good time in Bulgaria – The communists were gone, Sofia was still clean and tranquil, there was no mafia and the audience was thirsty for a new culture; all this helped me to work freely and with full tension.

 

Besides personal actions we did several concerts with another “cold wave” group -“New Generation” - mostly out of Sofia – Their leader died from cancer at 1994 year. We did three releases with: Violetov General” and more than 50 concerts.... In Bulgaria and five tours in Austria and Slovakia.... The atmosphere around these actions and concerts was very enthusiastic and energetic, we brought to the young audience the new waves they needed...

 

At that period I met a young man from Switzerland who was in Sofia by some cultural exchange... His name was Jorg Lenzlinger – The most inventing person I ever met...

 

With him and another guy – Pedro Cobler (who lately commuted suicide) we did several concerts in Sofia and few records from the concerts that we multiplied on cassettes... There was no CD-s than we did a concerts principally in the galleries and museums – I would call this more sound and noise actions.... I must send you the covers and posters for the concerts – it was pieces of art with great imagination – the contact and the work with these people gave me a lot of stimulation and enthusiasm for making arts..... These concerts had a big success (in small but cultural and alternative auditory) and the collaboration with these guys directed me at experimental way of music making....

 

In the same time I become a member of art group – “Art in Action” which did several art festivals for new and alternative forms of art but these events wasn't snobbish or pretentious – everything was very much spontaneous, sincere and free at that time with the group we participated on several other festivals – the one in Balchik – Bulgaria.... With industrial project where we played with very nice and sympathetic violinist from USA – Aine Keyes.... Half Japanese

 

(I'm not sure this is the write spelling of her name....) l so we did a lot of concerts trying to do it in a more strange and unpredictable places like old houses, old theaters, scenes in the parks, underground spaces for example the biggest fest of “Art in action” called – “aaa” was done in the old brewery – now demolished....

 

I have some clips from it at – 'violetovgeneral' website on Youtube.

 

Yes it was really interesting time and good for the alternative people in Bulgaria, but this continued only until 1994-95 years.

 

After that came the DARKNESS.......

 

 

 

 

EVA: ¿Qué participación has tenido en proyectos experimentales con otros artistas como: Jorg Lenzlinger, Cobler Pedro, Kolb Wim / Switserland? ¿Cómo fueron esas colaboraciones y cuál el propósito?

 

10. What involvement have you had in experimental projects with other artists such as Jorg Lenzlinger, Cobler Peter Kolb Wim / Switserland? How did these collaborations go and what was the purpose?

 

 

EV: We met with Jorg in 1991 in Sofia where he was sent by art foundation for 5-6 monts. He was extremly active at that time and in the period he was here we did three concerts and tapes from it and we did a releases for limited distribution. All this together with posters organisation publicity etc..... After the contact with the record house and the deal with them etc. etc. - Huge work I would say, but we were young and enthusiastic.....

 

It was great time... With Jorg came also Pedro Kobler with whom we did the concerts, later / a year/ he came with the same cultural program and than he invated Wim Kolb with whom we did two concerts in one theater hall.

 

For me the initiator of all these projects was Jorg... I wrote you about him.....

 

I can write a lot about the work we did together but it will take a lot of our time... He used for example a long rubber 3-4 meters long and used it like a bass string... Also a that long spring at the performance at the national Historical Museum he used a long - about meter - elastic wooden bands attached on his shoes and walked around with it.... Imagine the sound / noise it did.

 

Pedro was more in the way - musician... He played well piano and was involved in modern music, but the life in Switzerland wasn't very good for him..... He comited suicide the end of 90-es........

 

Wim was very cool guy - very much involved in computers - we didn't had a long colaboration with him.

 

I learned a lot from Jorg about how we coud be creative in a many different ways... but he was really too much in the experiments - also now he continue with his girl friend doing instalations around the world... but it isn't so interesting for me anymore.

 

My preferences are to the classic arts. I continue with our second tour - in Bratislava - Slovakia.....

 

It was with the firm that publish "Violetov general"....we just put out the CD -"Tales from Sofia", so with it we went to the big festival - "Pop-rock Bratislava"..... at the fest participated Peter Gabriel, White Snake, Les Rita Mittsouko and many others. This was the bigest fest we ever played.

 

Our gig was in the atomic shelter about hundred meters underground - "U club", that was something and there we had the best sound ever..... The sound engineer was perfect, so after the concert we met the guy who invited us make another tour - 8 concerts in Slovakia....

 

EVA: ¿Cuántos álbumes respaldan tu carrera como músico? Quizá gustes mencionarlos y alguna experiencia en particular o anécdota...

 

11. How many albums support your music career? You may like to mention some particular experience or anecdote...

 

 

EV: Well, with "Violetov general" officially there was three albums. With "Oholen jivot " two and two solo albums, but than those albums I did a lot of singles - "Home preparation" and sold it in a small shops.

 

Maybe we can also count the three or four live albums with the swiss guys. I don't remember some particular events... It was a hard work - that's all.... But I liked it.

 

 

 

 

EVA: De 1994 a 1997 realizaste cinco giras de música en vivo en Austria y Eslovaquia. Sería de gran interés conocer más detalles sobre esos aspectos de tu vida, por favor.

 

12. From 1994 to 1997 you made five tours of live music in Austria and Slovakia. It would be of great interest to know more about those aspects of your life, please.

 

 

EV: I liked a lot these tours we did because you meet new and interesting people - You are not a turist - You get in contact with artistic people and the audience.

 

The first one i think was in Vienna.... Some bulgarian who lived there invited us to make three concerts in underground clubs... It was fun but very few people came because we was somebody unknoun and from Bulgaria so you can imagine, but i still liked it. I like Vienna... There is a special atmosphere and we met some nice people, particulary a journalist and a photographer who invite us after two years to do another tour in Austria..... Also I visit many clubs with interesting bands.... The things you would never hear outside of Austria. This is for the first tour. I'll continue later... Want to make some video.

 

I just come from a concert of "Manhatan transfer" - NY jazz group and it's funny how different was what i did at the time.

 

Our third tour was again in Slovakia with another slovakian band called "Jesus Underground band"

 

We cross Slovakia and played 8 concerts in clubs with noise project, so in some places we was receive well with interest in others not so welll. After two years I went again in Slovakia but with solo project and played only one gig; some fest in the mountains.

 

The last trip was in Austria where we played in the biggest club in Vienna and in the fashist club in the mountain 200 km from Vienna. Also I was alone with playback, about all those gigs I can resume that sometimes it was OK sometimes not... But doing concerts is always fun.

 

 

 

 

EVA: En algún momento mencionas un periodo oscuro para los artistas en Bulgaria... ¿Qué sucedió y qué lo ocasiono? ¿De qué modo hicieron frente y cuál el aprendizaje (de haberlo)?

 

13. At some point you mention a dark period for artists in Bulgaria... What happened and what caused it? How did you face and what did you learn about it (if any)?

 

 

EV: After 1996 - 7 in Bulgaria came the "democracy", and the things changed in quite bad direction in my opinion. The cultural level came abruptly dowm and the society turned to material and consumer way of life. The people from the authority created the mafia to keep their money and power and Sofia filled with criminal subjects.

 

The whole atmosphere become very dirty and scarry, also alienating. I faced being locked in my home to work... what I learn from it, is that society is made also by us and we must be careful whats happen around and try to turn the things in beter way; by doing culture for example. But it's not so easy, because everything shout aroud to the humans minds - make more money and consume more; nothing else matters.

 

It's stupid and very limiting for our dreams and ideals.... and this is very bad.

 

 

 

 

EVA: ¿En que han consistido las acciones multimedia con música experimental que has realizado?

 

14. What have those multimedia actions you have performed with experimental music consisted on?

 

 

EV: Well, as I wrote before I turned to experimental music after i met Jorg and Pedro in 1991, so after that everything i did consisted some part of experiment. I thing the art is an experiment itself, the creation is trying to materialise your thoughts and dreams and you never know what will be the result; also you learn from your previous experience.

 

For example how to mix music with video and do it in precise place with it's own atmosphere, it consist so many details and you must think about everything to do it the best way. And all this is experiment and experience; the rest is just words.

 

 

 

 

EVA: Tengo entendido que mezclas acciones multimedia con exposiciones de pintura... ¿Qué es una acción multimedia aplicada en una acción concreta e inmóvil como la pintura?

 

15. I have understood that you mixture multimedia actions with art exhibitions... What is a multimedia action administered in a concrete and motionless achievement as painting?

 

 

EV: Well, i use this term because is kind of "modern" and it's useful for the medias, otherwise i think the "tableus" don't need nothing exept itself but in the modern society isn't enough to show that you just paint but you are "moderrn".

 

Also in Sofia lately is practiced to open exhibitions with concerts and maybe video and some instalations, so we caled it multimedia actions..... intention be "modern".

 

 

 

 

EVA: ¿Compusiste canciones para el grupo "Violet General" (psicodélico, underground, industrial, espacios experimentales)?

 

16. ¿Did you Write songs for the band "General Violet" (psychedelic, underground, industrial, experimental spaces)?

 

 

EV: Yes I did write all songs for this project, it was a word for maybe 5 years.

 

 

 

 

EVA: En tu obra audiovisual, algo que puede ser confuso (quizá sea esa tu intención) es ver fragmentos de películas entrelazados con acciones qué, he de suponer son propias... ¿Cómo defines tu trabajo experimental en vídeo?

 

17. In your audiovisual work, something that can be confusing (perhaps that´s your intention) we can see film clips interwoven with actions which I suppose are your owns ... How do you define your experimental work in video?

 

 

EV: I don't think very much about where I take the material from.... I only need a vision that inspires me.....

 

Also I noticed that i can create a special colours and substance I do in my pictures with the colours but in the video it comes by mixing different frames from anywhere..... Because it's a new field for me I think I have learn a lot about this matter, but it's question of time; unfortunately.

 

I leave the things to be adjusted by itself, for example, I use now the frames from russian film with "punk" vision and the situation from the film, when I cut it and mix it with different surfaces, for example water or something, will create something totally different and maybe with strange new story, unfortunately some of my clips i liked a lot, was banned in Youtube because of copyrights (he he) thats the situation.

 

I maybe will use it for my own big business, all in all I think there's many things i will find in the field of video art.

 

I always think that what i do is visible and understandable, for example the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJKE0n4_W30, I filmed a friend of mine who is a professional actress and it's visible. She is great and the clips with her are always good.

 

I think to explain the art proces is not very usefull... I think in the proces of the creation happens some kind of magic... In some of the clips I used frames from films, especially before i bought the camera, but I always fill the absence of the possibility to use actors for some special acts with scenario... So maybe because of it i lost my enthusiasm for doing video.

 

 

 

 

 

EVA: ¿Has incursionado en el cine? ¿Quiénes son los directores con los que te identificas y que además admiras?

 

18. Have you ventured into the cinema? Who are the directors you admire and also identify yourself?

 

 

E.V. No, I never been... only like a walking gentleman, ha ha ha! I have not a direct approach to the film industry.

 

Well, before i admired quite a lot of directors, now I think I couln mentioned Tarkovski, Begrmann, Gidai, Danelia, Zhang Yimou, in animation : Miayadzaki, Nick Park, but I saw a lot of really great films from unknown directors; so there's always real artist in this life.

 

As you noticed i used a frames from Tarkovski films (and Mosfilm banned it) I watched these films 40 years ago.

 

 

 

 

EVA: Hace 32 años cuando viajas a la India y Nepal, inicias un camino interno a través del yoga y la meditación, convirtiéndote en vegetariano ¿qué experiencias vividas en ese entonces te han servido a través de los años?

 

19. 32 years ago while you were traveling around India and Nepal, you initiate an internal road through yoga and meditation, becoming a vegetarian, what vivid experiences you had then, have served you over the years?

 

 

EV: Yes at that time i needed to travel a lot so this destination (related to my ocupation with Yoga) showed me very interesting and atractive visions and situations.... In Nepal I did 400 km in two weeks.... By feet, but it was so long time ago... 30 years, now i would visit rather south Siberya.

 

 

 

 

EVA: ¿Consideras que has fortalecido y potencializado tus talentos conforme pasa el tiempo?

 

20. Do you think you have strengthened and potentiated your talents as time has gone?

 

 

EV: Yes , this is certain for everybody. You accumulate experience and technics you start to know how the things are and how to do, also you start to know better yourself; but also you get tired and bored and the human health isn't very strong.

 

To say at large: It's a battle between you and the matter! And it severe, heavy and uncharitable...

 

 

 

 

EVA: ¿Cómo fue tu infancia, Emil? ¿Dónde naciste, creciste y cuál tu formación?

 

21. How was your childhood, Emil? Where were you born, did you grow up and what´s your background?

 

 

EV: I was born in Sofia, son of Bulgarian father and a Russian mother. My childhood was happy and free. I grew in a positive atmosphere without a big problems. Maybe I must say that there was some artists on my family...

 

 

 

 

EVA: ¿Añoras algo de tu vida? ¿Desearías cambiar algunos episodios (quizá borrarlos)?

 

22. Do you miss anything in your life? Would you like to change any episodes (maybe delete them)?

 

 

EV: Yes I think there's a lot of things I would like to do and also, I would like to meet more interesting people but I didn't, and I would like to travel much more all over the world; but I can not.

 

Yes, I would like to change some things in my life but... It's impossible.

 

 

 

 

EVA: Cuestiones como la felicidad, el amor, el arte, la muerte... ¿Cómo afrontas situaciones donde el ser humano inevitablemente, muestra su vulnerabilidad?

 

23. Issues such as happiness, love, art, death... How do you face situations where the human being inevitably shows his vulnerability?

 

 

Emil Valev: I just saw japan anime about these things.... And it shows that many people can't face the reality... They go crazy or totally block!

 

I would separate life into two groups: the art and happiness, love and death. This is my final answer.

 

 

Thank you, Emil.

 

 

  

Rosa Matilde Jiménez Cortés
México, septiembre de 2011.

 

 

 

[Entrevista efectuada en septiembre de 2011 (vía Internet) / Colaboró para EntreVistArtista (EVA) Emil Valev / Fotografía de portada proporcionada por Emil Valev / EntreVistArtista (EVA) es un proyecto independiente de Rosa Matilde Jiménez Cortés. H. Córdoba, Veracruz; México].