Among the artists who contribute these days to the entertainment and the overcoming of the people during the necessary social distancing before the threat of the Covid-19 is the graphic creator Marcial Flores González, who also advocates for the welfare of the people from his work as a traffic policeman.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- This adopted son of Las Tunas (he was born in Santiago de Cuba) is known as "The Cartoonist of the Five" since he has more than 400 works on this subject. However, at present, his inspiration embraces the topic of the new coronavirus and its social impact. Humor springs from his pencils through characters such as the planet, the virus, the doctors and others brought from fiction such as the wolf in the story Little Red Riding Hood.
More than 15 works related to the pandemic have been made so far, and always from the exhortation to comply with the relevant measures. Even in a piece where the planet cries with the melody of a violinist, the famous phrase of John Lennon: "One day after the war, if after the war there is a day, I will hold you in my arms and make love to you, if after the war I have arms, if after the war there is love," appears.
The idea is to call on the importance of prevention because there are still people without risk perception. It is a painful subject, because people have died, but against Covid-19, an artist cannot remain silent. It is also a way to express my ideas because art moves thought and the way I find to give a graphic hug to those doctors who have become champions in this great battle for human well being, said Flores.
He, since he was a child, felt great interest in painting and that is why, although he graduated from the police force, he never abandoned his dream. Today he has a very personal stamp, producing in his pieces reflections on the environment, social indiscipline, his own work as a traffic officer and the daily life of the Cubans. But, without a doubt, it is the struggle for the return of our Five Heroes that most awakened his artistic vein. Even the anti-terrorist fighter Gerardo Hernández sent him a hug of gratitude while he was still in prison.
This self-taught artist is a member of the Perspective project, a miniaturist who belongs to the Graphic Humoristic Group of the Cuban Journalists Union (Upec in Spanish) in this province. He has participated in events such as the International Biennial of Graphic Humor, where he was awarded in 2011 and is one of the most awarded creators in the eastern region in the category of Personal Cartoon, with works inspired by Alicia Alonso, Pedrito Calvo and other personalities.
His pieces have been exhibited in places in this and other provinces such as the Museum of Humor in San Antonio de Los Baños. Besides, he is included in volume II of the series of books Contemporary Cuban Cartoons, made by his colleague Ares, and he is the author of the sculpture about the Five Heroes, which is located in the Provincial Headquarters of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR in Spanish).
