Not only because he possesses a so-multiplied existence that he seems to be everywhere, (2005 witnessed the coexistence of his artworks at the Madrilean América Museum with the exhibits La Lección de Pintura (The Lesson of Painting) and in the Provincial Art Centers from the oriental provinces), but also due to the singular condition of his art, an expression staring at diverse dimensions (in and out) of reality, its ubiquitous feature can, better than anyone else, portray Arturo Montoto`s creation (Pinar del Río, 1953), nowadays, one of the Cuban creators managing to organically conjugate rigor, promotion and social reception.

Defining him as a realistic painter and engraver is scarce the first stamp of his labor. A deeper analysis lead us to notice it rather is a staging of reality. His major artistic resource is the characterization of the real object from an academic perspective, I would say classical, but so unwrap and evident that the spectator has no other choice that questioning the nature of this representation.

In this way this category is apparential. Montoto has gathered a vigorous iconography in which he reveals a reflexive perspective of the objects he describes. An orage at the edge of an abysm, a spinning toy abandoned in the sidewalk, an anvil in a corner, are no more ''portrayed'' visual references to acquire a symbolic and enigmatic load due to the shadows thickness and the illumination of its contours.

The artist has declared he creates ''without the naivety of the inspiration''. Don't take this fact as absolute, he is inspired and imaginative for his job. Otherwise he could hardly be able to omit the unnecessary stuff, to decant the needless, making us to turn our heads there where reality is entwined with the fantasy which each one is dressing and dreaming the pictorial representations.

Article by Virginia Alberdi Benítez in Granma Newspaper, April/ 2005.