▁his ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁prominent ▁painter ▁in ▁Cuba , ▁following ▁his ▁already ▁well - known ▁body ▁of ▁work . ▁ ▁P aint ings ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁Martínez ▁started ▁losing ▁interest ▁in ▁abstra ction , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁" p ain ting ▁for ▁the ▁sake ▁of ▁painting " ▁ide als ▁of ▁Los ▁Once , ▁who ▁believed ▁in ▁" expression ▁of ▁a est h etic ▁em otion ▁through ▁pl astic ▁means ▁– ▁form ▁and ▁color ▁– ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁spect ator ▁faced ▁with ▁the ▁work ▁would ▁be ▁moved ▁by ▁its ▁basic ▁element : ▁painting ." ▁ ▁Fig uration ▁made ▁its ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁artist , ▁who ▁long ed ▁for ▁closer ▁communication ▁with ▁the ▁public . ▁ ▁" Mag ic ▁always ▁has ▁been ▁important ▁for ▁me , ▁the ▁magic ▁of ▁the ▁surface ▁and ▁the ▁magic ▁of ▁an ▁express ive ▁life ▁transm uted ▁on ▁it . ▁ ▁But ▁magic ▁I ▁define ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁looking ▁for ▁the ▁unknown , ▁which ▁is ▁what ▁I ▁always ▁have ▁done ." ▁ ▁Br ief ly , ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁Cuba ▁had ▁been ▁heavily ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁social ism ▁of ▁Soviet ▁Russia . ▁ ▁The ▁USS R ▁had ▁a ▁heavy ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁developing ▁art ▁scene ▁in ▁Cuba , ▁raising ▁the ▁mar vel ▁of ▁social ▁real ism ▁as ▁an ▁art ▁form ▁soon ▁after ▁the ▁lit urg ical ▁aw ak ening ▁in ▁Cuba , ▁where ▁the ▁liter acy ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁had ▁under g one ▁a