Prologue

 Your stories about your life are your 'movie', I emphasized to Lucas at the restaurant on Miami Beach's, Ocean Drive. I was trying to get him interested in the subject so that we could have more than just a chat during the lunch we were about to share with his grandmother. I already knew this nine year old kid's ability to understand philosophical issues, so it took little to convince him to expand with me on the concept that I had proposed. The philosophical lesson that sprang from the delightful conversation Judy and I had with our grandson helped me overcome the mental block that for almost a year had prevented the start of this section of my website. Later in Lucas's 'MOVIE', the first of a series of anecdotes and accounts of my relationship with art, I'll give the whole story on that magical lunch with the boy. The short of it is that from the discussion we had with Lucas about the subject of his film, the idea finally came to me of how to parcel out my autobiographical accounts in a corridor of memories and stories that are directly related with the content and intention of rogeliopretto.com.

From the time the wonder of the Internet stamped its presence in humanity's daily affairs, I have thought of setting up my website. After many years of entertaining the idea, in November 2009 I started the process of giving my domain name its space on the Internet, devoted to documenting the trajectory and the most outstanding experiences of my journey within the world of creative occupations. The site is intended as a personal archive of images, documents, remembrances and memories of times and events that mark the path of my long relationship with art; a relationship that has been shaped by a succession of critical events which have dramatically led me each time towards new horizons of personal achievements.

My encounters with these horizons have been defined by a wide range of glories and sufferings that I could have never anticipated. When looking back, I've always felt that upon reaching each critical crossroads, I have decided to go on with dedication and enthusiasm, following the call of the uncertain road. I'm not one that loves to take risks per se. Pursuing the unknown or uncertain isn't what appeals to me essentially, although it does somewhat. What captures my attention and allows me to cope with the fear of what I still do not know is the surety of knowing that on the road towards a new horizon, I get the opportunity to experience a new chapter of adventures in my movie. 

In the story of my experience with art, my role as its protagonist began when I was a child. But my conscious surrender to exist as an artist, and survive as such, comes from the moment when I felt the call of the horizon of becoming a professional artist and made the decision to completely change course and dive into the pool of creative pursuits, almost without knowing how to swim. Everything I have learned since on my journey through art is the focus of the autobiographical accounts that follow... and those that I hope are still to be written.