. ▁ ▁Martínez ▁simply ▁began ▁incorpor ating ▁top ical ▁titles ▁into ▁his ▁work ▁( which ▁becomes ▁evident ▁in ▁his ▁exhibition ▁Expression ismo ▁Abstract o ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 ). ▁ ▁Ab stra ction ▁soon ▁became ▁the ▁mode ▁of ▁expression ▁of ▁the ▁Cub an ▁artist , ▁sh ifting ▁from ▁bill board ▁advert is ements ▁to ▁abstract ▁paint ings ▁by ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁when ▁R aus chen berg - like ▁symbols ▁began ▁to ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁artist ' s ▁paint ings ▁( first ▁with ▁the ▁number ▁ 2 6 ▁as ▁a ▁graph ic ▁symbol ▁in ▁ 2 6 ▁de ▁julio ). ▁ ▁Sub st ant ial ▁to ▁the ▁pro gression ▁of ▁Martínez ' s ▁work ▁was ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁his ▁life - part ner , ▁Ab el ardo ▁Est or ino , ▁a ▁prominent ▁play w right ▁and ▁poet ▁in ▁Cuba ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁yet ▁to ▁be ▁determined ▁how ▁influ ential ▁Est or ino ▁had ▁been ▁directed ▁upon ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Martínez , ▁but ▁substantial ▁to ▁the ▁pro gression ▁of ▁the ▁artist ' s ▁work ▁was ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁hom osex ual . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁hom osex ual ▁par ano ia ▁in ▁Cuba ▁in ▁the ▁ 6 0 ' s ▁and ▁ 7 0 ' s , ▁Martínez ▁had ▁lost ▁his ▁job ▁as ▁a ▁teacher ▁in ▁the ▁school ▁of ▁architecture ▁in ▁Hav ana , ▁which ▁caused ▁him ▁to ▁further ▁purs ue ▁his ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁fre el ance ▁designer , ▁while ▁continu ing