El Persa, ese desconocido (The Unknown El Persa)

José Cardona El Persa (Valencia, 1943) is one of the most well-known and unknown cultivators of what those of us who have studied classic Greek call ephemera: a vast paper-filled universe destined to last no longer than a day, featuring a mixture of cut-outs, postcards, colouring sheets, collectible cards, posters, commercial brochures, greetings cards, and so on. This “ephemeral press” is a treat for collectors, but it generally represents something quite different for its often anonymous creators. Few have made a humble piece of paper their ideal means of expression, unlike El Persa, who gave an exhibit of his cutouts titled ‘The dignity of the feeble’.

Irregardless of the commission, each of his creations reflect in an effective and secretive way the author’s unique poetic world, and one could say their desire to be insignificant is what makes them immortal. El Persa enjoys practicing “auto-folklore” —according to the expression by Antonio Machado— and pursues the most universal audience, perfectly represented by his group of friends. The brightest and most delirious ideas have emerged from his imagination, as demonstrated by his investigations about Pelota Postal Descascarillable (Derailed Postal Ball), his invention of the Mascarilla Masticadora Bowerbräu (Bowerbräu Chewing Mask), or his entertaining disquisitions about the nature of time, la joie de vivre, and motorcycles.

The Unknown El Persa collects works which cover almost thirty years, created for his own amusement, and published at his expense or in friends’ publications. Other inventions are presented for the first time in a volume we refused to call anthology, because no one creates anthologies for unknowns, and because they always contain the same books already seen and known by everyone. With the desire to gain accomplice readers —new friends—, we are pleased to introduce this great unknown artist to our unknown audience.