21. Pablo Cano

In honor of our Artopia party on February 10, Cultist proudly presents "100 Creatives," where we feature Miami's cultural superheroes in random order. Have suggestions for future profiles? Email [email protected] with the whos and whys.
21. Pablo Cano
Meet a true puppet master. Pablo Cano has always been an artist, but realized his true calling while earning his master's degree at Queens College. "I got interested in marionette theater and working towards this form of artistic expression. I realized that puppetry and marionettes had everything I loved about art. Like an operatic play I could incorporate music, painting, sculpture, theater, and acting. Ideas flowed easily after this breakthrough in my thinking about art."

After traveling all over the world, he returned to Little Havana and

his roots. "My life is entirely devoted to thinking about art,

observing people and objects, and what lies around on trash pick up

days. My neighborhood is where I grew up and I am very happy to have

moved back into it."

As time passed he

discovered that he could express himself in previously unthinkable ways

through his marionettes. Still, he considers his art a work in progress

and is always looking for ways to improve their aesthetic. "My hobbies

are collecting materials for use in my marionettes. This collecting

impulse is most evident with my cigarette paper foil collection. I use

the silver foil paper to enrich the surfaces of my marionettes. I want

them to shine on stage."

Cano's marionettes

already dazzle at the likes of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami Dade

Public Library, the Rubell Family Collection, Irreversible Magazine, The

Bakehouse Art Center, and Miami Dade College. His experiences have taught him that art is all about perspective.

"Once a professor in grad school said to me, 'Cano, you cannot create

anything ugly.' Then I made an ugly witch puppet. I tried to make her as

ugly as I could. He said she was beautiful.">

1. List five things that inspire you.

-My muse