About Dopico Fine Art

Dopico Lerner Vicente Dopico-Lerner is a storyteller.

His oil on canvas and watercolor on paper work features the tale of the human form grotesque world that is created at the end of his paintbrush. "It's all very spontaneous when I paint. I never begin with a preconceived idea as to what it will be about", he says. "I always approach it with a clear mind."
The story evolves from there.

Born in 1943 in Havana, Cuba, Vicente has always lived near the ocean. With his businessman father, housewife mother, and younger brother, he would spend much time at the water drawing. Raised as a Catholic, but with German-Jewish roots, the only artistic family member that he can recall was his grandfather who played the violin.
"I was the one who had artistic inclinations in my immediate family. I was always drawing. By age eight, I was creating Christmas decorations for school. But in Havana, a career in art didn't¹t seem like an option."

As he grew older, he began to study architecture. Havana, known for its brightly colored Art Deco buildings was the perfect backdrop for Vicente, and his imagination, growing up. In 1968 when he was in his early twenties, he moved to the U.S. The sunny shores of Miami is where he continued his studies in architecture, soon replaced by art classes. "I always knew that I wanted to be a professional artist, and after coming to the U.S. I realized that it was a possibility. One day I will be a painter, I would say to myself."

In 1971 on a trip to New York City, he visited a retrospective of the work of Francis Bacon at the Guggenheim Museum. This was a turning point for me because before seeing the exhibit, a lot of my work was less experimental. Another big influence at this time was the almost chaotic work of Jackson Pollock. "Much like Pollock¹s paintings, my work is very active. I'm all over the canvas."

In 1974 Vicente received his B.A. from the University of St. Thomas in Florida, and in 1976 his Masters degree in Science. He also completed several courses at the Art Student League, Florida Atlantic University, and Florida International University.
After school, Vicente became a teacher and taught art and social studies for 10 years. He also worked briefly with textile designers. "During this time I was painting at night and on weekends. I also began to show my work at local art festivals."

In 1999, Vicente was signed by MAC Fine Art, Dania Beach, FL, to represent his original work. He is the director of the Cuban Museum of Art and Culture in Miami, as well as the author of various essays on Cuban and Latin American art. With a studio in Miami and one in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Vicente stays close to the ocean and its reminders of the sounds that once lulled him to sleep as a baby.
"I think that my paintings are the way that they are, because I live in a location where the light is so powerful. The ocean creates a completely different reflection. An artist in New York does not have the same light as one working in Miami. There is always a dramatic contrast between the light and dark areas in what I create."

Moving between the two studios, Vicente works on both his watercolors and oil on canvas pieces three to four at a time watercolor.

"I like to go back and forth because they're both very different mediums. With watercolor it's more about how the color works with the paper and how to create the background or the expressions in a face. It can be a very unpredictable medium. With oils, it's about building texture in layers. The subject matter is based mostly on my moods. I will start to grow the piece with the wet oils and then go back after they have dried. The texture becomes a very important part to help create an illusion and to tell a story."

Vicente feels that outside influences as well as births, weddings, love piece of art. In this time with all that is going on in the world, he says, "it is very hard to close yourself off in a studio and work without being affected by what is going on outside your door. Artists, writers, and musicians, are the historians of our time. A painter just tells the story in a different way."

Part of Vicente's work routine is to listen to music ranging from classical to Gregorian chants to rock from the '60s, while he paints which is usually seven days a week. A favorite hobby of his is fishing. His family today consists of an adult daughter who lives in South Florida and works for a blood bank. "I am still the only artist in my family," he says with a chuckle.

"For me, art is life. If I were reborn tomorrow, I would begin to paint again. It has become my obsession and my life. It is a constant experiment and investigation. It is a science for me. Artists are always trying to talk to God. It's similar for musicians. The only difference is the artist's work is spoken with their hands, eyes, and a paintbrush." Ranging in size from 9 by 12 to 46 by 64 inches, Vicente's paintings retail for $1,200 to $12,000 in galleries nationwide. A limited edition hardcover and an open edition soft cover biographical book about the artist will be released and presents the evolution of his work from the early years to present.

by Koleen Kaffan
Art World News