“The theme and variation methodology, closely reflecting the way in which jazz musicians approach improvisation, is illustrated in its full glory in Greta Naufal’s series of graphic transformations portraying the fiery Cuban conga drummer, Cándido Camero. Each print is vibrant with the pulse of Cándido’s Latin-jazz rhythms, so stimulating in his collaborations with Bebop innovators Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Powell. The dynamic silhouette view of the percussionist’s head and shoulders, playing with raised hand, is an icon-like minimalization radiating mystique – abstracted from a 1954 picture by jazz photographer Herman Leonard. Each portrait is autonomous, differentiated by exploring a wide range of experimental monoprint and mixed media techniques printed on varying materials from newsprint to differing graphic paper qualities.”
